Being Here

Leah Cartwright is very old.  Some days she can’t remember her own name. She has no visitors, until one day, 16-year-old Carly comes to interview Leah for her social history project.

Leah certainly has a tale to tell: the grim story of her father’s suicide; her mother’s increasing religious mania; and the only glimmer of hope in the horror of her childhood, her imaginary friend Adam, who takes her to places she’s read about in books. But to Leah, Adam has always been real. Throughout her lonely adolescence, Adam teaches her about love. And in turn, Leah teaches Carly about the power of words, truth and stories. This is a searing, poignant exploration of youth and old age, the importance of the imagination, life, memory and love.