THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE ONDAATJE PRIZE 'The best book I read last year
by a mile. . . so beautifully written that anyone would be hooked' Laura Hackett Sunday Times
Best Summer Books 'Wonderfully funny and poignant. . . a tale of family secrets and
political awakening amid a crumbling regime' Luke Harding Observer 'We never lose our inner
freedom the freedom to do what is right' Lea Ypi grew up in one of the most isolated
countries on earth a place where communist ideals had officially replaced religion. Albania
the last Stalinist outpost in Europe was almost impossible to visit almost impossible to
leave. It was a place of queuing and scarcity of political executions and secret police. To
Lea it was home. People were equal neighbours helped each other and children were expected
to build a better world. There was community and hope. Then in December 1990 everything
changed. The statues of Stalin and Hoxha were toppled. Almost overnight people could vote
freely wear what they liked and worship as they wished. There was no longer anything to fear
from prying ears. But factories shut jobs disappeared and thousands fled to Italy on crowded
ships only to be sent back. Predatory pyramid schemes eventually bankrupted the country
leading to violent conflict. As one generation's aspirations became another's disillusionment
and as her own family's secrets were revealed Lea found herself questioning what freedom
really meant. Free is an engrossing memoir of coming of age amid political upheaval. With
acute insight and wit Lea Ypi traces the limits of progress and the burden of the past
illuminating the spaces between ideals and reality and the hopes and fears of people pulled up
by the sweep of history. THE SUNDAY TIMES MEMOIR OF THE YEAR WINNER OF THE SLIGHTLY FOXED
BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE
BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE CHOSEN AS A
BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN FINANCIAL TIMES SUNDAY TIMES TLS DAILY MAIL NEW STATESMAN
AND SPECTATOR
