One Small Thing: Veronica Henry

My one small thing isn't very small, being a sofa! But as sofas go, it's quite dainty, and also unusual, being double-drop-ended. It belonged to my grandmother, and was, quite literally, part of the furniture in her house in the Irish border town of Monaghan where my grandfather was the local GP. There's a picture of me aged about three, the sofa in the background just to the left of my glamorous Jackie O mother. I was close to my grandmother even though she lived across the water - she was the greatest letter-writer, and a wonderful giver of presents, and utterly maddening in a million ways, in that bossy entitled Anglo-Irish way that is a trope in so many novels. But I learned so much from her - how to walk into room and own it, make soda bread and raspberry jam, how to make and keep friends  . . . After she died, the sofa found its way to me, and I had it re-upholstered. The upholsterer took it apart until he was left with just a bundle of sticks, then completely re-built it, and I found a remnant of gorgeous bright striped velvet that suited it perfectly and brought it into the 21st century. Now, in this strange time, I spend a lot of my day on it, curled up with Zelda at my feet, surrounded by cushions, either reading or talking on the phone or curling my hands around a comforting cup of tea. I'm on my own right now, but somehow on this sofa I feel connected to my family, my heritage, myself. I will take it with me wherever I go in the future - the Parisian apartment I fantasise about, or the little Georgian flat in Bath, or the tiny house in Comporta. It will fit just perfectly into my dreams.

You can find out about Veronica's latest books here.

A Wedding at the Beach Hut is out 28th May 2020.

Stay well, stay safe, stay home x