The Sunday Times Bestseller


'Lovely, lovely, lovely... Sue Townsend meets Kate Atkinson meets Nina Stibbe' MARIAN KEYES




'Powerful and profound' Guardian




'Another sure-fire hit' Daily Mail




'Funny, melancholy, acutely observant' Sunday Express



There are three things you should know about Elsie.
The first thing is that she's my best friend.
The second is that she always knows what to say to make me feel better.
And the third thing... might take a little bit more explaining.


84-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. As she waits to be rescued, Florence wonders if a terrible secret from her past is about to come to light; and, if the charming new resident is who he claims to be, why does he look exactly like a man who died sixty years ago?


From the author of THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP, this book will teach you many things, but here are three of them:
1) The fine threads of humanity will connect us all forever.
2) There is so very much more to anyone than the worst thing they have ever done.
3) Even the smallest life can leave the loudest echo.