Sue Miller has written seven novels, most set on America's East Coast. Her themes are married love and families, and her main characters are relatively poor, connected to universities and always examining their consciences.

The Story of My Father is Miller's first work of non- fiction and in it she sets out her own background: 'I am the quintessential WASP - without the family money. Both my parents could trace their roots back through old New England families who left England or Scotland in