***Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2018***

EVERY MOTHER IS A WOMAN WITH A PAST

''An intriguing tale of love and loss . . . written with verve and delivers an amazing twist'' Sunday Mirror

''A haunting debut about grief, loss and motherhood'' The Pool

''This novel pulls you in and will have you racing to reach the end'' Good Housekeeping

When Katharine is found dead at the foot of her stairs, it is the mystery of her life that consumes her daughter, Laura. The medical examiner''s report, in which precious parts of Katharine''s body are weighed and categorised, motivates Laura to write her own version of events. But as she delves deeper into Katharine''s past, she is forced to confront a new version of the woman she knew only as her mother. A woman silenced by her own mother and wronged by her husband. A woman who lived in the shadows but whose secrets are now coming to light.

*** Includes an extract from Elisa Lodato''s second novel The Necessary Marriage.***

''An incredibly moving story of maternal love, sacrifice, and how little we know those closest to us'' Chloë Mayer, author of The Boy Made of Snow

''Extraordinarily sensuous storytelling that makes the reader''s heart ache in sympathy'' Observer

''Spare, confident and affecting. A compelling read''Joanna Barnard, author of Precocious