SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD

'A moving tribute to friendship and love, to the courage of the ordinary, and to starting again' RACHEL JOYCE

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Sometimes it takes a stranger to really know who you are


When Tina Hopgood writes a letter of regret to a man she has never met, she doesn't expect a reply.

When Anders Larsen, a lonely museum curator, answers it, nor does he.

They're both searching for something, they just don't know it yet.

Anders has lost his wife, along with his hopes and dreams for the future. Tina is trapped in a marriage she doesn't remember choosing.

Slowly their correspondence blossoms as they bare their souls to each other with stories of joy, anguish and discovery. But then Tina's letters suddenly cease, and Anders is thrown into despair.

Can their unexpected friendship survive?

A deep and luminous story of late love and second chances - an enduring novel of ideas about life, love and the surprises it throws at us.

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE MCKITTERICK PRIZE
WINNER OF THE PAUL TORDAY MEMORIAL PRIZE