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Up until I arrived in England with my parents and brother,
only three months ago, I knew exactly who I was. Ioulia Lemonides,
thirteen years old, confident, popular, artistic and lively.
Since we arrived in London on that cold, dull day in August
from our hot Mediterranean island, I've been in a state of shock,
from which I still haven't recovered. I've been totally confused
about my identity. It was bad enough that no one could pronounce
my surname and everyone called me "Lemonade", but no
one could get their mouth round my first name either.
So I had to change it to Julia. Which meant that most
of the time, when people said my name, I didn't realise they
were speaking to me, so I ignored them. It feels like I'm
in a trance that I can't wake up from.
Back home in Cyprus, Julia had everything – good friends, confidence,
a beloved cousin, a pet kitten…and glorious sunshine.
But all this changes when her family move to London and she has
to start all over again. Julia doesn't know a word of English,
and to begin with she feels like an outsider, lonely
and isolated.
But with time, and with the help of new friends, her family,
and her sense of humour and determination, she begins to
adapt to the new climate, language and culture.
A touching story, written with sensitivity and humour.
Praise for Making Sense:
A fascinating insight and very funny
THE OBSERVER
A real inspiration - we couldn’t put
it down: 5 stars
MIZZ
Enlightening
THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN
Beguling and provocative…a must-have
TEACHING AND LEARNING
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