Notes to my Mother-in-Law and How Many Camels Are There in Holland?: Two-book Bundle

A two-book bundle of national treasure Phyllida Law’s charming and funny memoirs of family life and motherhood – ‘Notes to my Mother-in-Law’ and ‘How Many Camels Are There in Holland?’.
This ebook bundle is published in paperback as ‘Three Mothers (and a camel)’.
Phyllida Law’s treasured mother-in-law Annie was the lynchpin of the entire family, so when they realised she was growing ever more deaf the only solution was for Phyllida to note down all the day’s gossip for Annie to read. When her own mother Mego – always deliciously dotty – was diagnosed with dementia late in her life, Phyllida devoted herself to Mego’s care, on hand to keep the cottage tidy and prepare a medicinal G&T. And all the while Phyllida had to manage her busy acting career and bring up her own daughters, the actresses Emma and Sophie Thompson.

Complete with wonderful new material from Phyllida, Emma and Sophie, this bundle edition of Phyllida Laws’s two enchanting memoirs of family life – ‘Notes to my Mother-in-Law’ and ‘How Many Camels Are There in Holland?’ – is a tender and sweetly comic story of mothers, daughters, a malfunctioning hearing aid and a most peculiar question about camels …

Reviews

Praise for ‘How Many Camels Are There in Holland?’:

‘Handling delicate material with a clear head and a loving heart, Law manages to turn the stuff of tragedies into the most delicate of comedies … Law’s technique ought to be studied on writing courses’ Telegraph

‘I doubted that I could ever read anything that would make me smile gently at the tragic reality of caring for a beloved family member who slips away before your eyes becoming a stranger. Yet Phyllida Law has provided such a book …’ BOOK OF THE WEEK, Daily Mail

‘Phyllida Law has a delightfully natural style, a gift for anecdote and the knack of seeing the funny side of pretty much everything. Someone so accomplished could write a book about their weekly trip to the supermarket and make it highly amusing … funny, brave and heartening.’ Spectator

‘So much merriment courses through Phyllida Law’s account of looking after her mother … Many of their exchanges belong in an Alan Bennett play’ Daily Telegraph

‘The first thing that strikes you about Phyllida Law’s account of her mother’s descent into dementia is how merry and life-affirming it is. The fast pace gives it the immediacy of a diary and from the first page you are thrust into the middle of the tumbling, loving Thompson family…Not once does Phyllida moan, tears are only occasionally mentioned and always cried in private… It is the ultimate in girl power… the perfect (gin &) tonic’ Express

‘Her and Mego's exchanges often have the ring of a daffy sitcom. At one point she shouts after her glaucoma-afflicted mother "You haven't got your long-distance glasses on," as the latter totters out the door for a stroll. "Don't worry dear," Mego shouts back. "I'm not going any distance"’ Independent

About the author

Phyllida Thompson has appeared in numerous plays, television series and films, including Peter's Friends, Much Ado about Nothing, Foyle's War and Kingdom. She was married to Eric Thompson, the writer and narrator of the English version of The Magic Roundabout, until his death in 1982. She has two daughters, Emma and Sophie. ‘Notes to my Mother-in-Law was her first book’.