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After Nature
by W. G. SebaldAfter Nature is the very first literary work by W. G. Sebald, author of AusterlitzAfter Nature by W.G. Sebald, author of Austerlitz, is his first literary work and the start of his highly personal and brilliant writing journey. In this long prose poem, Sebald introduces many of the themes that he explores in his subsequent books. Focusing on the conflict between man and nature, each of the three distinct parts of After Nature give centre stage to a different character from a different century - the last being W.G. Sebald himself.'A deeply intelligent book, but also a marvellously warm, exciting and compassionate one' Andrew Motion'A début of rare poetic grandeur' Irish Times'Astonishing writing. A true poet at work' Evening Standard'Graceful, allusive, serious, but also immensely readable' Sunday Telegraph'When you read Sebald you are transported to another realm' Literary ReviewW . G. Sebald was born in Wertach im Allgäu, Germany, in 1944 and died in December 2001. He studied German language and literature in Freiburg, Switzerland and Manchester. In 1996 he took up a position as an assistant lecturer at the University of Manchester and settled permanently in England in 1970. He was Professor of European Literature at the University of East Anglia and is the author of The Emigrants, The Rings of Saturn, Vertigo, Austerlitz, After Nature, On the Natural History of Destruction, Campo Santo, Unrecounted, For Years Now and A Place in the Country. His selected poetry is published in a volume called Across the Land and the Water.
After Paris
by Nicole Kennedy'A perfect holiday read, compulsively readable but also intriguing, thought-provoking and so good on female friendship' Laura Marshall, author of Friend Request.Three best friends. A weekend away. And a whole lot of baggage.Alice, Nina and Jules have been best friends for twenty years. They met in Paris and return there once a year, to relive their youth, leave the troubles of home behind, and indulge in each other's friendship and warmth. But this year, aged thirty-nine, the cracks in their relationships are starting to show...After their weekend together in Paris, the three women never speak again. Each claims the other two ghosted them. But is there more to the story?Praise for After Paris: 'A gripping yet tender story about friendship and motherhood... I think every reader will find a version of themselves somewhere in this book.' Holly Miller, author of What Might Have Been 'A refreshing and authentic take on female friendship. Complex, flawed and so real, I loved spending time with these three women.' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City 'Nicole Kennedy writes beautifully about female friendship, family dramas, relationships, parenting, and the city of Paris. Moving, funny, and hugely relatable.' Andrea Mara, author of All Her Fault 'Touching, evocative and impossible to put down.' Lorraine Brown 'Gossip Girl meets Emily in Paris meets One Day. Complex, clever and – as with all of Kennedy's writing – relatable.' Laura Price, author of Single Bald Female 'A gorgeous, big hearted book.' Suzanne Ewart 'Brilliant, engaging and completely compelling, After Paris is a triumph.' Hannah Doyle 'I was enthralled by the story – from the setting to the heartache; the trials of motherhood and such a razor sharp look at the bonds of friendship.' Caroline KhouryReaders love After Paris: 'I loved the writing, the three main characters and the scene setting, all just perfect.' Reader Review ????? 'It is rare to find a book that is purely about female friendships. I absolutely adored this book.' Reader Review ????? 'An ideal summer read that will make you appreciate your friends and what you have.' Reader Review ????? 'I raced through the book, desperate to see what happened... I loved this immersive read.' Reader Review ????? 'A beautiful story of adult friendships that really resonated... I absolutely loved the setting and characters.' Reader Review ????? 'I love all things Paris, and I also love female friendships. This book had all of that and more!' Reader Review ?????
After-School Meal Planner
by Annabel Karmel- Do you want to make healthy, nutritious meals for your kids?- Are you in need of inspiring family meal ideas?- Do you want quick and easy recipes that can be made in advance?Annabel Karmel, Britain's No.1 expert on food for children, is on hand to help, with all the advice and recipes you will ever need. How often have you arrived home from work, with no idea of what to make for the kids' (and your own!) supper? In After-School Meal Planner, Annabel offers simple, tasty recipes for the whole family, for every day of the week, whether you want a wholesome one-pot dish like Multi-layered cottage pie, a quick pasta recipe such as Pasta twirls with Primavera vegetables and Parmesan, or a spicy and exotic feast like Chicken satay. There are also yummy, fuss-free puddings including Rhubarb and strawberry crumble, and healthy snacks such as Chewy oatmeal raisin cookies to stave off the hunger pangs until suppertime.With full-colour photography throughout, a comprehensive weekly menu planner, and advice and tips to make sure your family get the very best from their food, After School Meal Planner is the family cookbook that every parent needs.
After She'd Gone
by Alex Dahl'An irresistible read' DAILY MAILLiv keeps a low profile in Sandefjord, Norway. She has never told her son about the secrets she carries or the life she lived before he was born. She will do anything to keep him safe.Anastasia's life is transformed when she moves from Russia to Milan to work as a model. She's rich. She's desired. But there's a dark side to the high-pressure catwalk shows that she will do anything to escape.Selma is a journalist in Oslo. She's investigating scandals in the modelling industry, but can't get her article published. Then a woman goes missing in Sandefjord. Now Selma must uncover the biggest story of her life . . .Unsettling, gripping and glamorous, this is a timely and cathartic psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Claire Douglas, TM Logan and CL Taylor.Why readers love Alex Dahl . . . 'Unsettling, layered, bold, unpredictable, dark' Will Dean 'Fast-paced and unsettling' Guardian 'It will leave you gasping for air' Rachael Blok 'A tense thriller that felt utterly real' Jane Shemilt 'This is in my top 5 book of the year so far' Reader review 'Kept me guessing from beginning to end' Reader review 'Alex Dahl is now one of my new auto buy authors!' Reader review 'I devoured it in two days' Reader review
After the Act: Access to Family Justice after LASPO
by Mavis Maclean John EekelaarAfter the Act describes the aftermath of the recent removal under LASPO of public funding from legal services in family matters other than in defined cases such as child protection and domestic abuse. Through analysis of the policy context, interviews with key players, observation of services provided by lawyers, students, lay support workers and the advice sector, the authors outline the work being done and the skills being used in a range of settings.The book raises questions not only about access to family justice, but about the role of law in family matters in an increasingly post-legal society. Fragmentation of the market in the new services offering information, initial advice, online or alternative dispute resolution – but rarely ongoing casework – raises questions about where costs fall and how quality can be assured. Many of these services are forms of private ordering, where outcomes are hard to assess.If neither the state nor the individual can afford full legal services where the best interests of any child involved are of paramount importance, and lawyers negotiate to make best use of the resources available, perhaps it is time to consider using lawyers differently, with lay support, to solve problems before they become disputes.
After the Act: Access to Family Justice after LASPO
by Mavis Maclean John EekelaarAfter the Act describes the aftermath of the recent removal under LASPO of public funding from legal services in family matters other than in defined cases such as child protection and domestic abuse. Through analysis of the policy context, interviews with key players, observation of services provided by lawyers, students, lay support workers and the advice sector, the authors outline the work being done and the skills being used in a range of settings.The book raises questions not only about access to family justice, but about the role of law in family matters in an increasingly post-legal society. Fragmentation of the market in the new services offering information, initial advice, online or alternative dispute resolution – but rarely ongoing casework – raises questions about where costs fall and how quality can be assured. Many of these services are forms of private ordering, where outcomes are hard to assess.If neither the state nor the individual can afford full legal services where the best interests of any child involved are of paramount importance, and lawyers negotiate to make best use of the resources available, perhaps it is time to consider using lawyers differently, with lay support, to solve problems before they become disputes.
After the Cradle Falls: What Child Abuse Is, How We Respond To It, And What You Can Do About it
by Melissa Jonson-Reid Brett DrakeThere may be no other social problem so common, yet so little understood by the general public, as child abuse and neglect. This book is intended to help remedy that situation. After the Cradle Falls integrates examples from folklore, songs, and news articles with the latest summary of empirical research to create an accessible and engaging work intended to provoke the reader to think about how to address the issue of child abuse and neglect in America. Written in a conversational style, the book engages the reader in thinking through why maltreatment occurs, what it looks like, and what we do and do not know. Most importantly, it asks the reader to become involved in the solution based on their own conclusions and values. Given the prevailing state of widespread public misunderstanding about child abuse, its causes and effects, and the involved systems, After the Cradle Falls is particularly current, relevant, and useful. It is a must-read for students, professionals in child advocacy or family services agencies, and policymakers.
After the Cradle Falls: What Child Abuse Is, How We Respond To It, And What You Can Do About it
by Melissa Jonson-Reid Brett DrakeThere may be no other social problem so common, yet so little understood by the general public, as child abuse and neglect. This book is intended to help remedy that situation. After the Cradle Falls integrates examples from folklore, songs, and news articles with the latest summary of empirical research to create an accessible and engaging work intended to provoke the reader to think about how to address the issue of child abuse and neglect in America. Written in a conversational style, the book engages the reader in thinking through why maltreatment occurs, what it looks like, and what we do and do not know. Most importantly, it asks the reader to become involved in the solution based on their own conclusions and values. Given the prevailing state of widespread public misunderstanding about child abuse, its causes and effects, and the involved systems, After the Cradle Falls is particularly current, relevant, and useful. It is a must-read for students, professionals in child advocacy or family services agencies, and policymakers.
After the End: The most moving book you'll read in 2019
by Clare MackintoshThe powerful and page-turning new novel from number one Sunday Times bestseller, Clare Mackintosh.'The most moving book you'll read this year' LISA JEWELL'Compelling and clever, tender and true. I can't stop thinking about it' LIANE MORIARTYMax and Pip are the strongest couple you know. Only now they're facing the most important decision of their lives - and they don't agree.As the consequences of an impossible choice threaten to devastate them both, nothing will ever be the same again.But anything can happen after the end . . . .____________________Everyone is talking about After the End:'This was a heart-breaking read and at times I forgot to breathe' 'If I could give this book 10 stars I would' 'This book touched my soul' 'I could not put it down. What a story. What a storyteller' 'This is in my top five books of all time. Absolutely incredible' 'I have never felt so emotionally wrapped up in characters in a book'
After the Fall: Gripping Emotional Dramas From The Author Of After The Fall (Charity Norman Reading-Group Fiction)
by Charity NormanIn the quiet of a New Zealand winter's night, a rescue helicopter is sent to airlift a five-year-old boy with severe internal injuries. He's fallen from the upstairs veranda of an isolated farmhouse, and his condition is critical. At first, Finn's fall looks like a horrible accident; after all, he's prone to sleepwalking. Only his frantic mother, Martha McNamara, knows how it happened. And she isn't telling. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Tragedy isn't what the McNamara family expected when they moved to New Zealand. For Martha, it was an escape. For her artist husband Kit, it was a dream. For their small twin boys, it was an adventure. For sixteen-year-old Sacha, it was the start of a nightmare.They end up on the isolated east coast of the North Island, seemingly in the middle of a New Zealand tourism campaign. But their peaceful idyll is soon shattered as the choices Sacha makes lead the family down a path which threatens to destroy them all.Martha finds herself facing a series of impossible decisions, each with devastating consequences for her family.
After the Fire
by Charlotte Rixon'Rixon has done it again. She's queen of the tragic romance.' - Laura Pearson***This is the story of girl meets boy. And then everything goes wrong . . .Ever since they first met at university, Beth and Nick have circled in and out of one another's lives: supporting each other through grief, marriage, divorce, career crises and family dramas. Fourteen years ago, when they were on the cusp of adulthood, they both survived a devastating fire that sent their lives in different directions. And they've been running ever since: from the pain, from the memories, and most devastatingly of all, from the guilt. But no matter how hard they try, there's something else they can't run from. The inescapable, terrifying truth: they're in love with each other. But how can they move forward, when neither of them can stop looking back?'Compelling, authentic and heartfelt.' - Caroline Hulse***Readers LOVE Charlotte Rixon'This is the story of girl meets boy... And then everything goes wrong. And I've never wanted everything to go right in such a long time! Heartbreaking and full of longing and chemistry - it's a captivating story and a pitch-perfect romance.' - NetGalley reviewer, 5*'This was so beautifully written that you could feel the characters ' emotions and see them appear in front of you. Couldn't put it down but didn't want it to end. Just a delightful escape.' - Amazon reviewer, 5*'Found myself totally routing for Beth and Nick the whole way through the book. An easy 5 stars from me!' - NetGalley reviewer, 5*'I absolutely loved this book... So cleverly written and with such authenticity... I fell in love with the characters and was totally invested in what happened to them. Absolutely recommend this.' - Amazon reviewer, 5*'Wow this is a really great book, SO much goes on throughout the book it really does keep you engrossed and wanting to turn those pages. It's a rollercoaster of a story.' - Amazon reviewer, 5*
After the Funeral: Hercule Poirot Investigates (Poirot #29)
by Agatha ChristieThe master of a Victorian mansion dies suddenly – and his sister is convinced it was murder….
After the Funeral: ‘My new favourite writer’ Marian Keyes
by Tessa HadleySunday Times bestseller Tessa Hadley explores the big consequences of small events in this new collection‘Tessa Hadley is my favourite author’ KATE ATKINSONHeloise’s father died in a car crash when she was a little girl; at a dinner party in her forties, she meets someone connected to that long-ago tragedy. Janey’s bohemian mother plans to marry a man close to Janey's own age – everything changes when an accident interrupts the wedding party. A daughter caring for her elderly mother during the pandemic becomes obsessed with the woman next door; in the wake of his best friend’s death, a man must reassess his affair with the friend’s wife. Teenager Cecilia wakes one morning on holiday with her parents in Florence and sees them for the first time through disenchanted eyes.These twelve stories plumb the depths of everyday life to reveal the shifting tides and hidden undercurrents of ordinary relationships.‘Few writers give me such consistent pleasure’ ZADIE SMITH‘Hadley is fantastically inventive . . . A magnificent collection’ Daily Telegraph‘Wonderful . . . The quality of suspense and satisfaction in Hadley’s stories is miraculous’ Vogue, Books of the Year
After the Party: From the number one bestselling author of The Family Upstairs
by Lisa JewellEleven years ago, Jem and Ralph fell in love. They thought it would be for ever, that they’d found their happy ending. Then two became four, a flat became a house. Romantic nights out became sleepless nights in. And they soon found that life wasn’t quite so simple any more. Now two people who were so right together are starting to drift apart. As they try to find a way back to each other, back to what they once had, they both become dangerously distracted.But maybe it’s not too late to recapture happily ever after ...
After the Rain: The incredible and uplifting new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author
by Lucy DillonReaders have fallen in love After the Rain:'I enjoyed this book immensely... Her characters are people you want to spend time with' 'This really tugs on your heartstrings' 'This book is a joy to escape into' 'This is a book that becomes a friend and you never want it to end because you know you will miss their company' ------------------ After the storm it's time for a fresh start . . .First, the clouds...Tara Hunter is a therapist on a mission to restore Longhampton's community spirit after catastrophic flooding. But with her boyfriend AWOL, her family fragmented, and only a cat for company, Tara's own life is crumbling.Then the storm...On top of everything, Tara's father - last seen as he walked out on her when she was ten years old - is suddenly back, with a surprising offer that could change everything.And after the rain...Dr David Dalloway is Longhampton Wellness Centre's new star counsellor. He's charming, caring and has a knack for reading people's minds - which is the last thing Tara needs right now. Will having David and her dad around make for a bigger storm on the horizon? Or is this Tara's chance for a fresh start?'Beautifully written with humour and insight' Katie Fforde'Brimming with all the ingredients for the best of novels: love, community spirit, family, friendship and four-legged friends.' Milly Johnson'Heartwarming and full of hope. Lucy Dillon brings warmth to every page' Sarah Morgan
After the Rain
by Aisling SmithMalti Fortune is uneasy. She has turned away from her birthplace of Fiji to make a new life in Melbourne. But all that she thought was certain is now in danger of being swept away. Her husband, Benjamin, a linguist, is a conundrum. He has changed. Or has she? The stories and superstitions of her childhood are telling her something she knows but doesn't want to hear - about being a trespasser, about not belonging.In the years to come, Malti and Benjamin's daughters are also to learn some hard truths. For Ellery, the hands-on father of her memories vanishes for months on end and the remembered fragments of good times aren't enough to sustain her anymore. Verona, on the verge of adulthood, can't imagine a world without her beloved Dad. He is her rock and hero. But Malti and Ellery both know that you can't depend on Benjamin.What makes a family? What does home look like? All three women are seeking answers. Each is haunted by her own ghosts. And by Benjamin. To find what they are looking for, they need to be honest with themselves and make peace with their own unreliable memories.After the Rain is a moving, exquisitely observed novel about marriage and family, dislocation, culture and belonging, from an exciting new voice in Australian literature.'A beautifully realised exploration of family, identity and dislocation. Smith beautifully captures complicated feelings around building a home in a new country, choosing your own path in life and realising your parents are just people, too' Books and Publishing'A thunderous debut full of life, love and legends. A truly sensational read!' WINNIE DUNN
After the War
by Anita FrankGwen’s war is over, but her greatest battle is about to begin. From the author of The Lost Ones, shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award and HWA Debut Crown, comes… ‘A truly wonderful novel’ Jill Mansell‘An enticing slant on wartime life’ Mandy Robotham‘A poignant love story’ Jenny Quintana
After the War is Over: A heart-warming story from the queen of saga writing
by Maureen LeeA heart-warming tale set in Liverpool and London during the post-war years, from bestselling author Maureen Lee.Liverpool, 1945. Three women, firm friends, return home from the war and try to fit back into their old lives after they've been demobbed. They've been thrown together by the war, and have shared all sorts of good and bad times. Now their old lives seem dull in comparison. But not for long...The younger women, Maggie and Nell, are both twenty-one and are full of hope and excitement; Iris, on the other hand, is feeling apprehensive about returning to civilian life. At the age of thirty,her only wish in life is to have a baby, but sadly this wish has yet to come true.When one of the women falls pregnant, there begins a dramatic sequence of events so far-reaching that the three friends' lives will become more intricately interwoven than they could ever have imagined. Over the next quarter of a century, this story of three remarkable - and very different - women unfolds into an uplifting tale of how three ordinary families become extraordinary.
After the War Zone: A Practical Guide for Returning Troops and Their Families
by Matthew J. Friedman Laurie B. SloneFrom the Director and Associate Director of the VA's National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: a highly practical, user-friendly guide that answering all conceivable questions about returning from war--for veterans and familiesTwo experts from the VA National Center for PTSD provide an essential resource for service members, their spouses, families, and communities, sharing what troops really experience during deployment and back home. Pinpointing the most common after-effects of war and offering strategies for troop reintegration to daily life, Drs. Friedman and Slone cover the myths and realities of homecoming; reconnecting with spouse and family; anger and adrenaline; guilt and moral dilemmas; and PTSD and other mental-health concerns. With a wealth of community and government resources, tips, and suggestions, After the War Zone is a practical guide to helping troops and their families prevent war zone stresses from having a lasting negative impact.
The After Wife: a moving and emotional story about a family keeping a big secret
by Cass HunterAn uplifting, surprising family story with a devastating secret at its heart'It was original, beautiful, moving and insanely addictive - I wept and I laughed and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.' Katie MarshWhen Rachel and Aidan fell in love, they thought it was forever.She was a brilliant, high-flying scientist. He was her loving and supportive husband.Now she's gone, and Aidan must carry on and raise their daughter alone.But Rachel has left behind her life's work, a gift of love to see them through the dark days after her death...A surprising and emotional story starring an unforgettable heroine, for fans of Together, The Summer of Impossible Things and The Time Traveller's WifeYour favourite authors can't stop talking about THE AFTER WIFE:"I found The After Wife thought-provoking, compelling and strangely real - I loved it. And it kept me reading into the early hours several nights in row!" Isabel Ashdown "The healing power of love transcends death - This was such a beautifully written, emotionally compelling book. I loved it." Rachael Lucas "Absorbing, moving and insightful." Ann Morgan "A wonderful, moving novel about family, love, and loss - and how, we can often find in the past what we need in the present. I adored this book - it's fresh, beautiful, profound and at times funny, it made me cry, but also made me smile." Sue Watson "An original moving story about what it means to be human... and what it means to truly love. All the feels!" Tracy BuchananWHY READERS ARE GIVING THE AFTER WIFE FIVE STARS: 'Grab a box of tissues because this beautiful story will make you cry' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars 'I laughed, cried and enjoyed every page. When is the sequel out?' - Amazon Reviewer, 5* 'A proper tear jerker. One of those books that lingers long after you've read it.' - Amazon Reviewer, 5*'This is a powerful and moving book but also a real page-turner.' - Amazon Reviewer, 5*'It's at once funny, pacy and very moving. Have some tissues ready...' - Amazon Reviewer, 5*
After You Fell
by J.S. LarkCreepy, disturbing and genuinely thrilling, this is one page-turner you won’t be able to forget!
Afterlife
by Tracy Ogali"Death is never the end....It is simply a new beginning......Afterlife" What do you do when your life falls apart? Who do you turn to for help? This is a story about how to come to terms with the tragedy of losing a loved one. Fox is lost, consumed by grief, unable to move on with his life. Until one day he has an epiphany, so strong that he decides to go on a quest around the world to search for the meaning of life. He meets all the wise creatures that provide him with their philosophy. But nothing works. He feels like a failure. Then, out of the blue, a voice speaks to him: a butterfly. She agrees to show him the way, and it is here, with her guidance, that fox begins to learn about nature, who he is and the true wisdom of life and death.
The Afterlife of Stars
by Joseph KertesAs Russian tanks roll through the cobblestone streets of Budapest and shots ring out, young Robert and Attila Beck, inseparable brothers, peer from the boot of a toppled statue of Stalin at the first grisly signs of revolution. The year is 1956. That October day, Russian soldiers will storm their family home, prompting the boys' hurried escape from the city with their parents, grandmother, and two cousins. Not all will survive. Their immediate destination is Paris, and the town house of Hermina, their great-aunt, once a renowned opera singer, now a recluse who wears long gloves to preserve her dignity against a past scarred by an unspeakable violence. Along the way, these two brothers encounter mysterious fellow travelers, witness the bewildering sights of a nation in transition, and grapple with rivalry and loss, while never losing their capacity for joy or their appreciation of humor, and each other, as they stare down the unaccountable and the absurd. Robert, the younger, idolizes the fiery Attila, whose growing edge of anger and rebellion threatens to endanger them both. As exiles in Paris, they seek adventure and whatever semblance of home they might find, from the unfamiliar streets to the labyrinthine sewers beneath. When the duo uncovers a long-held family secret involving a double agent and a daring Holocaust rescue, this novel hurtles toward its cataclysmic conclusion. A fleeting decision by Attila has consequences that will last a lifetime, and the bond that has proved unbreakable may be the brothers' undoing. With dazzling storytelling and a firm belief in the power of humor in the face of turmoil, Joseph Kertes has crafted a fierce saga of identity and love that resonates through its final page. The Afterlife of Stars is not only a stirring account of one displaced family's possibilities for salvation, but also an extraordinary tale of the singular and enduring ties of brotherhood. "Devastating yet unnervingly funny.... inspired and deeply affecting....a story for the ages."-Julie Orringer, New York Times Book Review "The Afterlife of Stars moved me more than any other novel I've read in recent memory."-Tim O'Brien
Afterlives
by Abdulrazak Gurnah'One of Africa's greatest living writers' Giles FodenRestless, ambitious Ilyas was stolen from his parents by the Schutzruppe askari, the German colonial troops; after years away, he returns to his village to find his parents gone, and his sister Afiya given away. Hamza was not stolen, but was sold; he has come of age in the schutztruppe, at the right hand of an officer whose control has ensured his protection but marked him for life. The century is young. The Germans and the British and the French and the Belgians and whoever else have drawn their maps and signed their treaties and divided up Africa. As they seek complete dominion they are forced to extinguish revolt after revolt by the colonised. The conflict in Europe opens another arena in east Africa where a brutal war devastates the landscape. Hamza does not have words for how the war ended for him. Returning to the town of his childhood, all he wants is work, however humble, and security – and the beautiful Afiya. As these interlinked friends and survivors come and go, live and work and fall in love, the shadow of a new war lengthens and darkens, ready to snatch them up and carry them away.
Afterlives: By the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021
by Abdulrazak GurnahBY THE WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE 2021SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION 2021LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE 2021'Riveting and heartbreaking ... A compelling novel, one that gathers close all those who were meant to be forgotten, and refuses their erasure' Maaza Mengiste, Guardian'A brilliant and important book for our times, by a wondrous writer' Philippe Sands, New Statesman, Books of the YearWhile he was still a little boy, Ilyas was stolen from his parents by the German colonial troops. After years away, fighting in a war against his own people, he returns to his village to find his parents gone, and his sister Afiya given away.Another young man returns at the same time. Hamza was not stolen for the war, but sold into it; he has grown up at the right hand of an officer whose protection has marked him life. With nothing but the clothes on his back, he seeks only work and security – and the love of the beautiful Afiya. As fate knots these young people together, as they live and work and fall in love, the shadow of a new war on another continent lengthens and darkens, ready to snatch them up and carry them away…'One of the world's most prominent postcolonial writers … He has consistently and with great compassion penetrated the effects of colonialism in East Africa and its effects on the lives of uprooted and migrating individuals' Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel Committee 'In book after book, he guides us through seismic historic moments and devastating societal ruptures while gently outlining what it is that keeps those families, friendships and loving spaces intact, if not fully whole' Maaza Mengiste'Rarely in a lifetime can you open a book and find that reading it encapsulates the enchanting qualities of a love affair ... One scarcely dares breathe while reading it for fear of breaking the enchantment' The Times