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Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Dedication
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Sixteen
  20. Seventeen
  21. Eighteen
  22. Nineteen
  23. Twenty
  24. Twenty-One
  25. Twenty-Two
  26. Twenty-Three
  27. Twenty-Four
  28. Twenty-Five
  29. Twenty-Six
  30. Twenty-Seven
  31. Twenty-Eight
  32. Twenty-Nine
  33. Thirty
  34. Thirty-One
  35. Thirty-Two
  36. Thirty-Three
  37. Thirty-Four
  38. Thirty-Five
  39. Thirty-Six
  40. Thirty-Seven
  41. Thirty-Eight
  42. Thirty-Nine
  43. Forty
  44. Forty-One
  45. Forty-Two
  46. Forty-Three
  47. Forty-Four
  48. Forty-Five
  49. Forty-Six
  50. Forty-Seven
  51. Forty-Eight
  52. Forty-Nine
  53. Fifty
  54. Fifty-One
  55. Fifty-Two
  56. Fifty-Three
  57. Fifty-Four
  58. Fifty-Five
  59. Fifty-Six
  60. Fifty-Seven
  61. Fifty-Eight
  62. Fifty-Nine
  63. Sixty
  64. Sixty-One
  65. Sixty-Two
  66. Sixty-Three
  67. Sixty-Four
  68. Sixty-Five
  69. Sixty-Six
  70. Sixty-Seven
  71. Sixty-Eight
  72. Sixty-Nine
  73. Seventy
  74. Seventy-One
  75. Seventy-Two
  76. Seventy-Three
  77. Seventy-Four
  78. Seventy-Five
  79. Seventy-Six
  80. Seventy-Seven
  81. Seventy-Eight
  82. Seventy-Nine
  83. Eighty
  84. Epilogue
  85. Acknowledgements
  86. Extract from To Keep You Safe
  87. About the Author

Jack eats his croissant and feeds some to Lennie. He tells me about the different things they found on the beach and shows me the crab claw in his pocket.

When I’ve finished eating, I hold the claw and open and close it. It’s an exciting find, I agree. I think about the hard shell on the outside and the soft inside, hidden from sight. Such a different creature from us – well, from some of us, perhaps.

‘Can we go exploring again, Granny? You’ll come with us this time?’

I take his outstretched hand and stand tall. I remember then, what I thought when my son died, as I feel my grandson’s hand in my own and I feel it again. But now it’s less of a question or a hope – now it’s a certainty.

Love is enough.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Firstly, dear reader, thank you for the read; I hope you enjoyed it, not least because I loved writing it. I intended to express something around ideas of love and forgiveness; not an original message, but I think, the best one.

The creation of this book – obviously – isn’t just me tap-tapping away, but the product of many people. The first who deserves a particular ra-rah! is my editor, Katherine Armstrong. I am in a long queue of people who recognise her considerable talents and I’m not surprised by her continued success. Thank you, Katherine, for not being put off by a ragged dishcloth of a first draft and making it into something so much better. Along with Katherine, my thanks goes to Stephanie Glencross, who has shaped many books that perhaps, dear reader, line your bookshelves. Writing is a mostly solitary (tea, back against the Aga, mind elsewhere) task, but it was fun and fruitful to work with Stephanie and Katherine as a three, solving the tangles together. Stephanie works with the fabulous Jane Gregory, who, as an agent, I trust implicitly. Thank you, Jane, for your support and my thanks is extended to Camille and Mary.

Special thanks to the wonderful people at Bonnier Zaffre for publishing this novel; you are a brilliant team and always so helpful and creative. A particular toast to Ciara Corrigan for her patience.

The world of writing is a very friendly and supportive place – happily and surprisingly so. I’d like to thank those writers and reviewers I’ve encountered, for their warm welcome and the reads and reviews.

Cara Henwood, thank you for your midwifery knowledge – at short notice. Any mistakes are mine.