Picture Imperfect

A story about family, identity, and the messy truth of finding yourself - from the legendary multi-million selling author who writes real life, honestly told.

FROM THE BELOVED SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PUT YOURSELF FIRST?

Dol has spent her life holding everything — and everyone — together. But she's done being perfect.

Now it's time to be herself.

Dol Westward has always been the dependable one — the steady hand, the peacekeeper, the fixer. Especially when it comes to her unpredictable mother, Marigold. But after years of putting everyone else first, she’s starting to wonder what’s left for her.

When life begins to fray around the edges, Dol realises she’s been chasing an idea of perfection that was never really hers. Old habits, old expectations — they’re hard to break. But maybe imperfection is the only place she can finally feel free...

Funny, moving and full of hope, Picture Imperfect is a story about family, love and discovering that life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful — from the beloved author who always writes real life, honestly told.

READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH PICTURE IMPERFECT:

‘Jacqueline Wilson is a national treasure! Picture Imperfect is at once beautiful, sad, and uplifting’ – Alice Winn

'I devoured this entire book in one sitting . . . it catapulted me out of a reading slump'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'There's something so comforting about reading a Jacqueline Wilson book . . . You can just sink into it' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Picture Imperfect is everything I didn’t know I needed: tender, messy and deeply relatable' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘10/10 would recommend to anyone who loved Jacqueline Wilson as a child, and to anyone who's never read her before this is just the perfect novel of 'adult trying to sort their mess of a life out’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'A nostalgic hug from the past'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'I obviously hoovered it up. There's something about the way Jacqueline Wilson writes that gets me racing through every page!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'It's real, raw and completely relatable’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'I absolutely adored diving back into the world of The Illustrated Mum. . . It brought all the nostalgia. I could not put this down' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Instant Sunday Times bestseller, August 2025