Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson

If I could tell my family story like this I would consider the demanding life of an author.  This is the story of Ruby and three generations of her family.  It begins at the moment of her conception, a rather unpleasant experience for her mother Bunty whose frivolous name, Ruby fears, portends the hilarious and tragic lives that follow.  Much of Ruby's story happens in The Rooms Above the pet store her parents own in the town of York, England.  Every other chapter takes us back to the lives of Bunty,  Bunty's mother Nell and various brothers, sisters, cousins and one conniving Frenchman.  It is a very English telling with a twist at the end that makes you wonder if you should have been paying better attention.  I am not surprised that it was the Whitbread book of the year in 1995.