'Absorbing and insightful . . . A gripping and tender exploration of family secrets and shame' Carys Bray, author of A Song for Issy Bradley

A year ago, Charlie’s life seemed to be following a plan: she had a beautiful house, a lovable dog and an upcoming wedding. But she felt trapped. A few months before the big day, ignoring the warnings from her family, she abandoned her life and fled to the other side of the world in a bid for freedom.

But when her mother unexpectedly falls ill, Charlie has to cut her trip short. She flies home, but by the time she gets to the hospital, it’s too late.

Her mother is gone, but she’s left a mystery behind. Why did she buy a canal boat, and where did the money for it come from? As Charlie attempts to work through her grief and pick up the pieces of her life, she follows the threads of her mother’s secret past – but has she missed her chance to learn the truth?

'A gorgeous family drama' Emma Curtis, author of The Night You Left

'Utterly mesmerizing writing, an emotionally powerful story . . . I devoured it' Louise Beech, author of Call Me Star Girl

'I loved this novel about journeys of discovery . . . Sarah Jasmon has a great eye for complex family dynamics and long-hidden secrets, as well as the detail of life on a narrowboat' Claire Fuller, author of Our Endless Numbered Days

'A lyrical and compelling read . . . Jasmon writes skilfully about love, the unspoken and the subtle evasions around a family's painful past' Martine Bailey, author of The Almanack