On the way the shape of a family changes over time as children grow up; an extract from The Giant on the Skyline

Plus some thoughts on the massively important role independent book shops play in our lives

This photo was taken on the day I moved Jimmy, my eldest son, into his university halls in Manchester. He graduates later this month, and this has made me reflect on how your children growing up causes the entire shape of your family to continually shift and evolve

I am writing this from Heathrow, about to board a flight back to DC. I can feel images a…