Trouble Was: A Haunting Look at 1976 Through a Child's Eyes

Charlotte Edwardes, a Guardian journalist, makes her novel debut with Trouble Was. Set during the famously hot summer of 1976, it follows a young boy and his two siblings as they stay with their aunt on a remote West Country farm. This haunting story is told through a sharp child’s-eye view, exploring themes of adult neglect.

The oppressive heatwave and escalating water shortage of that summer provide a tense backdrop to the children’s mother’s deepening marital and mental health crisis. Edwardes immerses readers in the era's daily life, crafting an atmospheric and deliberately paced narrative that offers a poignant look at vulnerable childhoods under intense pressure.

The child's perspective on adult chaos always makes for compelling reading.

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