Hilary Mantel navigates the textures of her life with a profound veracity in 'Giving Up the Ghost.' A memoir that begins with Mantel's stepfather's death, the narrative interweaves the past and present, summoning childlike perspective with adult introspection. Mantel recounts the shaping forces of her early years—from the constrictions of a Catholic school to the transitions within her family, marked by the arrival of stepfathers and the haunting absence of her biological father. Her journey leads her through the corridors of law school, into the arms of a lover, and the confines of a marriage marred by a relentless pain. As her physicality is irrevocably altered by treatments, the conception of an unrealised child becomes the ghost that pervades her existence. Mantel's account culminates with a reflection on the missed steps and silenced stories that define her trajectory as a writer. Throughout the narrative, a raw honesty coupled with Mantel's inimitable wit provides an unforgettable exploration of one's sense of self amidst the ghosts that we gather over a lifetime.