No Father Who Walks Out On His Child Has The Right To Be Proud Of The Adult They Become, Says Novelist SARAH IVENS, Whose Dad Abandoned Her When She Was Six Years Old

My father is very proud of my achievements. His office is something of a mini-shrine to me. From smiling pictures of me on his desk to copies of my articles on his walls, he has displayed my successes for all to see.

When visitors comment, he delightedly fills them in on his clever daughter, who inherited his hair colouring, wit and good luck. So far, so normal, you might be thinking. 

What father wouldn't want to boast about their daughter's triumphs? Well, you might think of my father's pride in a different light when I tell you that we haven't spoken for nearly 30 years. 

So why, after so many years of pretending I don't exist, is he now showing off about me? asks SARAH IVENS, pictured as a young girl (left), recently (right) and with her two children William and Matilda (inset).

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