How I Live Now
📘 About This Book
How I Live Now is an original and poignant book by Meg Rosoff, now a film tie-in edition to celebrate the release of the major film starring Saoirse Ronan. How I Live Now is the powerful and engaging story of Daisy, the precocious New Yorker and her English cousin Edmond, torn apart as war breaks out in London, from the multi award-winning Meg Rosoff. How I Live Now has been adapted for the big screen by Kevin Macdonald. Fifteen-year-old Daisy thinks she knows all about love. Her mother died giving birth to her, and now her dad has sent her away for the summer, to live in the English countryside with cousins she's never even met. There she'll discover what real love is: something violent, mysterious and wonderful. There her world will be turned upside down and a perfect summer will explode into a million bewildering pieces. How will Daisy live then? 'Fresh, honest, rude, funny. I put it down with tears on my face' - Julie Myerson, Guardian 'Assured, powerful, engaging . . . you will want to read everything that Rosoff is capable of writing' - Observer 'An unforgettable adventure' - Sunday Times Bestselling author Meg Rosoff has received great critical acclaim since the publication of her first novel How I Live Now (winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize). Her other novels, Just in Case (winner of the 2007 Carnegie Medal), The Bride's Farewell and What I Was which was described by The Times as 'Samuel Beckett on ecstasy', are also available from Puffin. Follow Meg on Twitter @megrosoff. Also by Meg Rosoff: How I Live Now; Just In Case; What I Was; The Bride's Farewell; There is No Dog
📖 Summary
How I Live Now is a powerful, engaging, and original young adult novel written by multi-award-winning author Meg Rosoff. Published in 2005 and spanning one hundred and fifty-three pages, the narrative centers on Daisy, a precocious fifteen-year-old girl living in New York. Daisy carries the heavy emotional burden of knowing her mother died giving birth to her. When her father sends her away from her familiar American life for the summer, she is dispatched to the tranquil English countryside to live with a group of cousins she has never met before. At first, this relocation feels like an unwanted disruption, a displacement from everything she knows. However, the idyllic setting and her unconventional family quickly draw her into a different kind of existence. Among her new relatives is her English cousin Edmond. As they spend their days together, Daisy experiences a profound shift in her perspective on life and human connection. She believes she understands the nature of love, but her time in the country redefines it entirely, revealing it to be something violent, mysterious, and wonderful. This rural paradise, however, is not insulated from the broader realities of the world. Just as Daisy settles into a rhythm of summer freedom and deep personal discovery, the geopolitical landscape shifts drastically. War breaks out in London, shattering the peace of the English countryside and closing in on their isolated sanctuary. The impending conflict disrupts their idyllic routine, ultimately tearing Daisy and Edmond apart as the chaos of war encroaches upon their lives. Their perfect summer explodes into a struggle for survival and separation. Meg Rosoff crafts a story where the innocence of youth and first love collides directly with the harsh, unpredictable brutality of a sudden military conflict. The narrative explores how personal awakenings and global devastation can intertwine, leaving indelible marks on those who live through them. Through Daisy's distinct voice, the book captures the intensity of teenage emotion, the strange bonds formed in times of crisis, and the sheer resilience required when the world as one knows it is turned completely upside down. It is a striking examination of how love and loss can be experienced simultaneously when a peaceful existence is violently interrupted by the realities of war.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Original and poignant storytelling style
Engaging exploration of intense adolescent emotions
Striking juxtaposition of a peaceful summer setting with the sudden onset of war
Memorable protagonist with a distinct and compelling voice
⚠️ Cons
The abrupt disruption of the peaceful setting by war can feel shocking
The intense and complex nature of the central relationship may not appeal to all readers
❓ FAQ
Who is the author of How I Live Now? +
The book is written by the multi-award-winning author Meg Rosoff.
When was the book published? +
How I Live Now was published in 2005.
Who is the main character of the story? +
The protagonist is Daisy, a precocious fifteen-year-old girl from New York.
Why is Daisy sent to the English countryside? +
Her father sends her away to live with cousins she has never met for the summer.
What major event disrupts Daisy's summer? +
War breaks out in London, tearing Daisy and Edmond apart and turning their world upside down.
