Synopsis
You can't have it all. So what must you choose to lose? And will it be worth the sacrifice?
“Don't let this brilliant book pass you by!” Amazon reviewer.
Six-year-old Belinda Brabbage has amassed a wealth of wisdom. She knows all the best hiding places, how to zap monsters with her pig-shaped torch and why never to accept lifts from strangers – even ones who offer Fizzy Fish. But Belinda's mummy isn't like the other mothers who gather at the school gates. She's... different somehow. Mummy doesn't like to be plagued with questions. But when she isn't concentrating, she drops nuggets of information. Belinda collects them all, sure a pattern will emerge. It's only a matter of time.
Time is Alison's enemy. This hand to mouth existence of hers was only supposed to be temporary. But there's one clock she can't re-set. Belinda is growing up. Soon she'll recognise the ballerina in the photograph album. She'll understand who her mother was, who she could have been - and what she does to pay their rent. With options running out, Alison consults a blind clairvoyant, whose visions of pelicans and bookshelves appear to herald change. Then a chance meeting with an affluent couple affords a glimpse of the life Alison so desperately wants for her daughter. But can she trust their offer of friendship?
Writing with compelling honesty, Davis is clearly a writer at the pinnacle of her craft. This unflinching novel of a desperate single mother haunted by thwarted dreams is populated with beautifully flawed characters, beneath whose tumultuous lives lie deeply buried secrets.
Perfect for fans of Maggie O'Farrell, Rachel Joyce and Ali Smith.
"An extraordinary level of emotion brought on by some superb storytelling." The Cult Den.
“A damn good read, and dare I say, important.” Linda Cooper.
“I never doubted that things happened exactly as described, right to the very last word.” Jean Gill
Scroll up and treat yourself to a copy today!
Release date: April 21, 2014
Print pages: 338
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