Two solid years have passed since Why Women Grow solidified from a flimsy-feeling proposal into a book-shaped commitment. You can add on another nine months from the first catch of an idea. People often remark upon how long it takes to get from starting work on a book to it existing on the shelves. What they don’t realise is that it’s kind of crucial: over a year has passed since I finished my first draft. Months since I signed off on the final version. I wrote about it a bit here, but to grind to a halt would induce an almost manic grief. Better, then, to gradually pull away from something you’ve been growing in your head for so long. We are less than three weeks away from publication now, and the book stopped feeling like mine some time ago. Instead, it is making its own way in the world: to be read and held by other people. I wish it well. I understand that I can’t do much about what people think about it any more.

Perhaps because of this distance I find it difficult to read my own work back. It feels like looking in a mirror and seeing a past reflection that you don’t fully recognise. I hold great admiration for those who read their own audiobooks; there is no way I could do it.

Mercifully, Fiona Hampton, an actress with a lovely voice has interpreted both Rootbound and Why Women Grow, has relieved me of this challenge. And I’m pleased to say that I am able to share the introduction from the forthcoming book here, today, for paying subscribers. Scroll down and hit play. ...