Much to the disbelief of those who know me now, I was a very timid child. Luckily for me, I had my books; and reading was an intrinsic part of our family life. Though it is a widespread view that I was exactly the sort of child to hide behind words, it is a cliché I would like to steer away from for the sake of this blog. The image of the shy, bookish child as a delicate outsider; academically clever yet incapable of integration, can be problematic. Certainly for me, it wasn’