Book description
Set in 1970s Manchester, ONCE IN A HOUSE ON FIRE tells the harrowing true story of three sisters and their mother, from the point of view of the eldest sister Andrea. They are a close-knit, loving family but are forced to battle with poverty, depression, and terrifying abuse at the…
Why read it?
1 author picked Once in a House On Fire as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Having read Once in a House on Fire about twenty years ago, I was recently drawn back to the book by the memory of a beautifully told story of trauma and quiet triumph, and it was no less compelling the second time around.
As the author’s memoir of growing up in a poor family in Manchester in the 1970s and 80s—dominated by not one but two violently abusive stepfathers—it is powerfully and disconcertingly raw and honest, leaving the reader aghast and willing the youthful author to make her escape.
If you love Once in a House On Fire...
Aggressor
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…
Want books like Once in a House On Fire?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Once in a House On Fire.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,398
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Once in a House On Fire, you might also like...
Aftermath
Robin dreamed of attending Yale and using her brain. Kory lived on the streets of Seattle and relied on his brawn. Without the asteroid, they never would have met.
For three years, Robin and her grandfather have been hiding, trusting no one. When a biker gang moves into town, Robin…
We Have Always Been Here
Misanthropic psychologist Dr. Grace Park is placed on the Deucalion, a survey ship headed to an icy planet in an unexplored galaxy. Her purpose is to observe the thirteen human crew members aboard the ship—all specialists in their own fields—as they assess the colonization potential of the planet, Eos. But…
