'When is the right time to tell someone they're not who they think they are?' Caught in an over-vivid world, Kitty is tipped off-centre by the loss of her 'child that never was'. And as children all around become emblems of hope and longing and grief, she's made shockingly aware of the real reason for her pervasive sense of 'non-existence' . . .

What mystery at the heart of Kitty's decidedly odd family makes her four brothers so vague about her mother's life? And why does Dad splash paint on canvas rather than answer his daughter's questions? On the edges of her dreams Kitty glimpses the kaleidoscope van that took her sister Dinah away - is it a link to her indistinct childhood?

This compelling and witty debut will resonate with many readers. It tells of identity struggles in a large family, the sadness of lost children, the approach of breakdown and desperation - and the optimism of an eccentric, loving marriage ('If it wasn't for me, he would be a wonderful husband'). Astonishing Splashes of Colour will particularly appeal to readers who enjoy the English, psychological family novels of Nina Bawden, Patrick Gale and Kate Atkinson.