This autobiography of Lena Kennedy recounts the sense of community and period that characterizes her novels. Written in three sections, the first depicts the breakup of her community of "shackdwellers", who lived in the woods near a Kentish village. The second part is set in London and concerns the start of her writing career and her long search for acceptance by a publisher. Finally, the third part covers the last decade of her life and her years of success, in stark contrast to when she was a "shackdwelling" child, sitting on her grandmother's doorstep and listening to her storytelling. This work is the story of Lena Kennedy's life as a writer, explaining the formative influences that shaped her career - idyllic Kentish summers, the smoky bustle of London - and is recounted in the style that made her one of Britain's best-loved novelists.