Description

‘Warmth, truth and wisdom live on every page…this profoundly generous book tells the deeper story of all our lives. It will leave you feeling more human’ Chris Cleave, author of The Other Hand

‘As beautiful as it is heartbreaking… Perfect for fans of Cathy Rentzenbrink and Joan Didion’ Juliette Bottomley, Mr B’s Emporium

Hannah Richell was lost in writing her new novel when the outside world finally broke in to tell her that her husband, Matt, had been killed in a surfing accident. This is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two years of loss, but it is also an account of what happens beyond those early years, when time and distance have offered some perspective and healing.

Not just a love letter to her late husband, but a love letter to the country that stole her heart, to motherhood, and to the healing power of creative endeavours. More than anything, it’s a story of recovery and hope.

Publisher Review

'I was deeply moved by this book which is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking - a raw and wrenching portrait of lives shattered and rebuilt in the wake of grief. It also reads like a love letter to her husband Matt, whose sudden death in a tragic surfing accident tore a hole in their family too deep to fathom. In emotional freefall, halfway across the world from family and dealing with police, the press, a funeral and two young children, I could almost physically feel the weight of her collapse. She shares with touching honesty the hours, then days and finally years of rebuilding, of what it took her to emerge from within. She has a warm, tender and often witty voice, offering glimpses of their too-brief life together and recounting their love affair with Australia, whose golden shores and pink sky formed the backdrop for their growing love. Perfect for fans of Cathy Rentzenbrink and Joan Didion' 'A searing reflection on the fragility of life which never loses sight of the miraculous beauty of being alive' Leigh Sales, author of Any Ordinary Day 'So much love in every beautiful word. My heart hurt so much and yet I could not look away. The writing is vital and filled with so much sorrow and so much love. Sublime' Favel Parrett, author of There Was Still Love 'Hannah Richell writes about grief and its aftermath with excoriating honesty and with exceptional beauty. A work of great tenderness, a celebration of love and of life. I loved it' Kathryn Heyman, author of Circle of Wonders 'Raw, unflinching, tender, hopeful - Richell pulled me through her loss as if it were my own. This is grief writing at its very best' Emma Grey, author of The Last Love Note 'Warmth, truth and wisdom live on every page of this beautiful and moving memoir about the loss of a wonderful and inspiring man. Waves of emotion rose as I read it: sorrow, and wonder at this precious existence we are given. With measured candour, a delicate touch, and a careful eye for the telling detail, Hannah Richell achieves what only the very best memoir can: she holds a space in which the reader can meet themselves. As you read, you realise that this profoundly generous book tells the deeper story of all our lives. It will leave you feeling more human' Chris Cleave, author of The Other Hand