I sometimes say that My Family and Other Animals – Gerald Durrell’s autobiographical novel from 1956 – saved my life. My mother pressed her dog-eared copy into my hands during a year I was hospitalised repeatedly for major depression.
The sun-soaked Greek island of Corfu — as well as the Durrell family’s foibles and adventures – felt a world away from my hometown’s bleak winter and all those blister packets and doctors’ waiting rooms. I became fascinated by Durrell’s colourful childhood and his longstanding career as both an author and a naturalist. I could easily recall the story’s funniest moments and parrot the most memorable lines.
