About the Author

Louise Beech is an exceptional literary talent, whose debut novel How To Be Brave was a Guardian Readers' Choice for 2015. The sequel, The Mountain in My Shoe was shortlisted for Not the Booker Prize. She regularly writes travel pieces for the Hull Daily Mail, where she was a columnist for ten years. Her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice and being published in a variety of UK magazines. Louise lives with her husband and children on the outskirts of Hull.

Reviews

Storytelling at its finest. Louise Beech is a beguiling wordsmith. Prepare to be hooked' Amanda Prowse; `Beautifully constructed, laugh-out-loud funny in places, and achingly sad in others. I completely fell in love' John Marrs; `Bold, powerful and redemptive ... a triumph' Katie Marsh; 'Beautiful, poignant, funny, heart-rending, dark ... this book will stay with me for a very long time' Claire Douglas; `A powerful and moving story' Madeleine Black; `Captivating and haunting' Louisa Treger; `Heartfelt and wry, this will transport you into a keenly observed world; secrets are hidden, people are flawed, but humanity endures' Ruth Dugdall; `A story of pain and love ... moving and real' Vanessa Lafaye; `This is real life, bruised, torn and coffee-stained, refusing to give up ... simply stunning' Su Bristow; `Brimming with emotional honesty and glorious imagery' Gill Paul; `It's impossible not to love Catherine-Maria Hope. After you turn the last page, you will still sense her ... a million stars to enhance the moon' Carol Lovekin; `Both raw and lyrical, this is gorgeous, honest and incredibly moving' Cassandra Parkin; `Tense and affecting' Michael J. Malone; `Effortlessly captures the grind of real life and infuses it with flourishes of subtle poetry' Matt Wesolowski