Prickly. Stubborn. Terribly lonely. But everyone deserves a second chance… A dazzling debut for 2020 – are you ready to meet Missy Carmichael? Missy Carmichael’s life has become small. Grieving for a family she has lost or lost touch with, she’s haunted by the echoes of her footsteps in her empty home; the sound of the radio in the dark; the tick-tick-tick of the watching clock. Spiky and defensive, Missy knows that her loneliness is all her own fault. She deserves no more than this; not after what she’s done. But a chance encounter in the park with two very different women opens the door to something new. Another life beckons for Missy, if only she can be brave enough to grasp the opportunity. But seventy-nine is too late for a second chance. Isn’t it? ’Bittersweet, tender, thoughtful and uplifting … I loved it’ Nina Stibbe Reviews ‘Bittersweet, tender, thoughtful and uplifting. Reminds you that everyone deserves a second chance. I loved it’ Nina Stibbe, author of Reasons to be Cheerful ‘A beautiful story about love, loss, guilt and the power of friendship’ Jill Mansell, author of Maybe This Time ‘The most beautiful and moving book I’ve read in a long time’ Emma Flint, author of Little Deaths ‘Our book of the month… a story of friendship and having a second chance at life – one to savour’ Woman & Home ‘A joyful read about the power of people in saving each other’ Good Housekeeping ‘You’ll want to savour every moment of this glorious debut… this is a simply stunning story’ Woman’s Weekly ‘A generous-hearted story showing the transformative power of friendship and community … A fabulously enjoyable book’ Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus ‘A heartwarming tale of sacrifice, courage and reward – a hymn to the power of basic human kindness’ Rosie Walsh, author of The Man Who Didn’t Call ‘A soulful, refreshing and tender book, written with grace, humour and empathy’ Stephanie Butland, author of Lost for Words ‘Moving but not sentimental … [a character] as complex, frustrating, vulnerable and surprising as any I’ve met in print’ Eleanor Wasserberg, author of Foxlowe ‘A book for our times: a heartfelt reminder of the affirmative joy of not just being kind to others, but also to yourself’ Piers Torday The Lost Magician ‘An exquisitely written and uplifting novel about the power and importance of human connection. A book to hold close when you’ve finished and feel comforted, warmed and inspired’ Katy Regan, author of Little Big Love ‘Sweet, not saccharine; sensitive, not sentimental’ The i paper