Punchy, acerbic, sharp-witted and above-all, acutely observed,Born Free tells the story of an ordinary family who are all trying to escape from something - and each other. The interactions between Jake, Joni, Angie and Vic reveal a hellish cocktail of asdolescent and mid-life crises; the savagery of sibling rivalry; the waking nightmare of a marriage gone cold - and, naturally, the unbridgeable, infernal chasm between the generations. It's a story of everyday life. SHORTLISTED FOR THE WHITBREAD FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2000 BOOK OF THE YEAR - THE FACE '99 NOMINATED FOR THE ORANGE PRIZE