A mother following her heart. A father with the law on his side. A child caught in the middle.
1982: Dawn is a young wife and mother hemmed in by village life. Then Hazel appears like a torch in the dark. Their attraction is instant and suddenly Dawn’s world is more joyful, and more complicated, than she ever expected.
2022: Maggie has always lived with an absence where her mother should be. Her father never speaks of her and it feels impossible to ask. Then an official letter arrives with news from the past, and Maggie must face a truth far bigger than just her family’s secret.
'Explores love and loss, intimacy and justice, custody and care…it’s brilliant, I couldn’t put it down' Anita Rani, Woman's Hour
'A beautiful and tender exploration of parental love, prejudice and the things we carry' Rachel Joyce
‘A brilliant book… Full of heart, sympathy and sadness’ Sara Pascoe
‘A triumph! Like the great Maggie O’Farrell, Claire Lynch deals brilliantly with both big themes and small moments’ Elin Hilderbrand
‘Smart and heartbreaking’ Guardian