Set in the backstreets of North London in the early 1900s, The Life of Riley is drawn from the diary of Lily Plant, the author's grandmother. Combining fiction with meticulous research into the landscape of London in this period, the author has painted a colourful and moving tale of poverty and love, alcoholism and kindness. This is a world in which families live in two rooms, four families share a house and hunger is the norm. This is the story of Ray Riley, from childhood to adult life. It will make you laugh, and probably make you cry, and it will make you realise how lucky you are.