BUY
Introduction
In the follow up to her acclaimed novel Shelter, Sarah Franklin returns to the Forest of Dean, this time exploring what it means to belong to a rural community in a rapidly changing world.
Jo grew up in the Forest of Dean, but she was always the one destined to leave for a bigger, brighter future. When her parents retire from their butcher's shop, she returns to her beloved community to save the family legacy, hoping also to save herself. But things are more complex than the rose-tinted version of life which sustained Jo from afar.
Tessa is a farrier, shoeing horses two miles and half a generation away from Jo, further into the forest. Tessa's experience of the community couldn't be more different. Now she too has returned, in flight from a life she could have led, nursing a secret and a past filled with guilt and shame.
Compelled through circumstance to live together, these two women will be forced to confront their sense of identity, and reconsider the meaning of home.
Reviews
“(A) thoughtful, original novel... Detailed, descriptive, transporting prose.”
“The kind of book that gives you hope and courage. I loved it.”
“A meditative read about second chances, friendship and belonging that feels perfect for these uncertain times...This gentle, thoughtful novel (...) will warm your heart and nourish your soul.”
“Such a warm novel with a clear sense of place.”
“It really touched me, I can’t stop talking about it. Your words spoke to somewhere deep inside me.”
“An insightful, thoughtful novel about...the meaning of home and the importance of belonging.”
“A big-hearted novel about how we learn to belong despite ourselves.”
“When Jo rents Tessa’s spare bedroom, a tentative friendship develops; but Jo’s need to be helpful just might be a poisoned chalice.”
“This atmospheric read is simply beautiful.”
“A warm and touching novel.”