Ripeness

The perfect book club spring read from the Sunday Times bestselling author.In 1960s Italy, a family secret rips a teenage girl's world apart, only for her to discover its true meaning decades later.'Moss makes every moment count' – The Sunday Times'A book of lasting pleasures' – Eleanor Catton, Booker Prize-winning author of The Luminaries'Powerful and beautifully written' – The GuardianJust out of school and teetering on the brink of adulthood, Edith is sent alone to rural Italy. Her task is simple: support her sister Lydia, a brilliant but brittle ballet dancer, through the final weeks of her pregnancy. Once the baby is born, she is to make a phone call that will change all of their lives forever.Decades later, Edith is living a contented life in Ireland, happily divorced and finally free. But with the arrival of an unexpected message, Edith must face the truth of that long-ago summer, and the secret she has carried for a lifetime.'Tender and rueful’ – Emma Donoghue, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of Room'A delicious novel' – Literary Review'Sublime . . . glorious' – Vogue'Luminous' – Financial Times'Beautifully crafted . . . absorbing and moving' – Daily Mail