Rebecca Ley

'Wonderfully assured' THE TIMES 'Pass the tissues...' EVENING STANDARD 'Beautifully written' THE SUN 'Prepare for heartbreak' WOMAN & HOME 'A beautiful story' LAURA PEARSON 'Brilliant' BELLA Because there's never enough time to say goodbye... Sylvia knows that she's running out of time. Very soon, she will exist only in the memories of those who loved her most and the pieces of her life she's left behind. So she begins to write her husband a handbook for when she's gone, somewhere to capture the small moments of ordinary, precious happiness in their married lives. From raising their wild, loving son, to what to give their gentle daughter on her eighteenth birthday - it's everything she should have told him before it was too late. But Sylvia also has a secret, one that she's saved until the very last pages. And it's a moment in her past that could change everything... Praise for For When I'm Gone: 'Beautifully written, with powerful messages of hope' KATHERINE WEBB 'A moving portrait of a modern family in crisis' FRANCESCA HORNAK 'Ley took my breath away. Exquisitely written and deeply effective' KATE WEINBERG 'Heart-breaking. Beautifully written. Reminded me of Maggie O'Farrell' REBECCA THORNTON 'A beautiful, sharply observed tale of motherhood, complicated women and family dynamics' CHARLOTTE PHILBY 'Heartbreaking and yet uplifting... Rebecca Ley has written a wonderful debu't JENNY QUINTANA 'Rebecca Ley explores the need for love, forgiveness and remembrance that's within us all' WOMAN'S WEEKLY

The most heartbreaking and uplifting debut to curl up with in 2021!

For When I'm Gone

Sweet Fruit, Sour Land

een betoverende roman over liefde die voortleeft

Voor als ik er niet meer ben

'Completely gripping - strong holiday read recommend!' BETH MORREY 'A rich and evocative story about a holiday that's supposed to be perfect and secrets that are meant to stay buried' NICOLA GILL One last chance to become who we were supposed to be... The trip was supposed to be the perfect holiday. Six friends, reuniting after two decades, spending the weekend in a beautiful riad in Marrakesh. Only, these friends are linked by more than their university days. Together, they've kept a dark secret that changed the course of all their lives forever. And as the truth threatens to surface in the stifling Morrocan heat, they all begin to question what really happened that terrible night twenty years ago... Praise for The Trip: 'Luminous. Evokes a sultry and febrile setting with luscious detail' LOUISE DEAN 'With such beautiful, evocative writing and a page turning plot at its core, this is truly a perfect summer read!' CARYS JONES 'An intriguing, original and emotional read' JENNY QUINTANA 'A gorgeously written and heart-tugging emotional deep dive of friends in their forties' HARRIET WALKER 'An exquisitely written meditation on the way the choices we make in our twenties ricochet throughout our lives.' KATE MAXWELL 'The descriptions are exquisite, the characters rich, never letting up with the pace and intrigue of the best psychological thrillers' CAROLINE CORCORAN

The Trip

WINNER OF THE GUARDIAN NOT THE BOOKER PRIZE 2018 WINNER OF A BETTY TRASK AWARD 2019 SHORTLISTED FOR THE KITSCHIES GOLDEN TENTACLE 2018 When a wealthy client visits Mathilde’s dressmaking shop, she finds herself drawn into the only surviving circle of luxury left in a barren London. Attending parties offers a welcome escape from life governed by ration cards and a strictly enforced child policy. Here she meets enigmatic government minister, George, and piano-playing Jaminder, with whom an intense friendship blossoms. As their relationship grows stronger, George’s grip on Mathilde tightens, as she tries to discover where the illicit food is coming from, where women disappear to, and what price she must pay to avoid bringing a child into a cruel, ever-changing world.

Winner of the Not the Booker Prize 2018

When a wealthy client visits Mathilde's dressmaking shop, she finds herself drawn into the only surviving circle of luxury left in a barren London. Attending parties offers a welcome escape from life governed by ration cards and a strictly enforced child policy. Here she meets enigmatic government minister; George, and piano-playing Jaminder; with whom an intense friendship blossoms. As their relationship grows stronger, George's grip on Mathilde tightens, as she tries to discovers where the illicit food is coming from, where women disappear to, and what price she must pay to avoid bringing a child into a cruel, ever-changing world.

Rebecca Ley

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