It’s just one glass.
And then another. And another.
Having a hard day, clients turning up late for their hair appointments and feeling sad about a recent break up soon become excuses for Violet’s mum to drink more than usual. When Violet finds yet another empty vodka bottle in the bin, she starts to worry about her mum even more.
Violet unknowingly becomes the main carer for her little brother, Freddie, as her mum, yet again, sleeps off the excesses from the night before. It’s not the family routine she wants for her and her brother but she is torn between asking her grandparents for help or staying quiet to keep the peace.
Her teachers become increasingly concerned about her as she starts to hand in her homework late and can’t seem to get to school on time due to dropping Freddie off at the other end of town. A task she takes on on a regular basis as her mum lies in bed with another hangover.
When a water bottle is filled with alcohol and is given to Freddie by mistake, Violet’s world is about to change forever. Can her mum get the help she needs before it’s too late?
Eve Ainsworth’s story of Violet and her brother Freddie’s experience with an alcoholic parent gives the reader a realistic and heart-breaking look into the daily lives of those caught in the middle of doing the right thing or turning a blind eye to addiction.
