A Crying Sort of Happiness

These days the Heide Museum of Modern Art is a popular place to visit, but in 1969 it was home to John and Sunday Reed who were close friends of my parents, John Sinclair and Jean Langley. In February of that year, Jean escaped her difficult marriage and went to live in London, taking my younger sister and me with her. We returned to Australia in 1970 when I was fifteen. This book tells of two parallel lives. My mother's story is told mainly through her highly emotional letters to Sunday, and I write of my experiences as I struggled with the awkward transition from child to teenager, while living in Swinging London.