Claire Wilcox has been a curator of fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum for more than 20 years and this memoir shares something of what is involved in her day to day activity as well as the stories behind some of the exhibits, interwoven with details of her own life growing up with a seamstress for a mother, above the haberdashery shop owned by her parents.

Whether or not you believe yourself interested in fashion, this is a phenomenal, extraordinary book.

The chapters are concise - some just a couple of paragraphs, others two or three pages. They are punctuated by photographs - family pictures as well as images of shoes, fabric, dresses.

The text is poetic, sparse, thoughtful, intricate. The details presented by Wilcox in her memories of growing up, building a career and a family, and looking at the stories behind the museum exhibits are breathtaking and inspiring.

Reading this book is like taking a masterclass in life writing. You want to pause to savour each word, each phrase, being sure to digest it fully before moving on but the writing is so mesmerising, you can't stop turning the pages. A real find. Wonderful!