WINNER OF THE WINGATE LITERARY PRIZE 2020
When a dead body is found in the Thames, caught in the chains of HMS Belfast, it begins a search for a missing woman.
A policeman, a documentary film-maker and an Irish nurse named Chrissie all respond to the death of the unknown woman in their own ways. London is a place of random meetings, shifting relationships – and some, like Chrissie, intersect with many. The wonderful Linda Grant weaves a tale around ideas of home; how London can be a place of exile or expulsion, how home can be a physical place or an idea, how all our lives intersect.
‘Reminds us of the depth and strength of the communities that are our beloved London. Thank you’ Philippe Sands
‘There’s a Dickensian quality to the opening scene and yet it’s one of the most bitingly contemporary publications of the year – a shifting, polyphonic narrative’ Hephzibah Anderson, Mail on Sunday
‘There is a richness in this novel, found in a migrant experience that is deeply embedded rather than distinct from its environment… a compelling read’ Jake Arnott, Guardian
‘The novel is fleet-footed… the way even the minor characters flare into life gives the novel richness and depth… a novel fit for shifting, uncertain times’ Suzi Feay, Financial Times
