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By Clare Chambers. 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021'A WORD-OF-MOUTH HIT' Evening Standard 'A very fine book... It's witty and sharp…
and reads like something by Barbara Pym or Anita Brookner, without ever feeling like a pastiche'David Nicholls'Perfect'India Knight 'Beautiful' Jessie Burton'Wonderful'Richard Osman 'Miraculous'Tracy Chevalier 'A wonderful novel. I loved it'Nina Stibbe 'Effortless to read, but every sentence lingers in the mind' Lissa Evans 'This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I honestly don't want you to be without it'Lucy Mangan'Gorgeous... If you're looking for something escapist and bittersweet, I could not recommend more' Pandora Sykes'Remarkable... Small Pleasures is no small pleasure'The Times'An irresistible novel - wry, perceptive and quietly devastating'Mail on Sunday'Chambers' eye for undemonstrative details achieves a Larkin-esque lucidity' Guardian'An almost flawlessly written tale of genuine, grown-up romantic anguish' The Sunday Times 1957, the suburbs of South East London. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and - possibly - happiness. But there will, inevitably, be a price to pay.Book of the Year for: The Times, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Daily Express, Metro, Spectator, Red Magazine and Good Housekeeping'A must read. Loved it and a beautiful ending' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'Written with compassion and empathy, a cuddle in a…
book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'Wow! It is a very long time since I have enjoyed a book so much. This gripped me from the start' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review------Escape with this feel-good and big-hearted debut novel from broadcaster Lorraine Kelly. If you love Maeve Binchy, you'll love The Island Swimmer.Once the tide turns, you can't hold it back...When Evie's father falls desperately ill, she finally returns to the family home on Orkney and the wild landscape she left as a teenager, swearing never to return. Not everyone is happy at her arrival, particularly her estranged sister Liv, their relationship broken after a childhood trauma. As Evie clears out her father's neglected house to prepare it for sale, lonely Evie finds herself drawn to a group of cold-water swimmers led by her old friend Freya, who find calmness beneath the waves. Together they help Evie face up to the mistakes in her past, unlocking a treasure of truths that will reverberate through the community, and shake her family to its core.------'Gorgeous debut novel' Marian Keyes'Warm and wise...a Scottish Maeve Binchy' Veronica Henry'Like getting a warm hug on a freezing cold day' Jane FallonBy Lorraine Kelly. 2024
'A must read. Loved it and a beautiful ending' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'Written with compassion and empathy, a cuddle in a…
book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'Wow! It is a very long time since I have enjoyed a book so much. This gripped me from the start' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review------Escape with this feel-good and big-hearted debut novel from broadcaster Lorraine Kelly. If you love Maeve Binchy, you'll love The Island Swimmer.Once the tide turns, you can't hold it back...When Evie's father falls desperately ill, she finally returns to the family home on Orkney and the wild landscape she left as a teenager, swearing never to return. Not everyone is happy at her arrival, particularly her estranged sister Liv, their relationship broken after a childhood trauma. As Evie clears out her father's neglected house to prepare it for sale, lonely Evie finds herself drawn to a group of cold-water swimmers led by her old friend Freya, who find calmness beneath the waves. Together they help Evie face up to the mistakes in her past, unlocking a treasure of truths that will reverberate through the community, and shake her family to its core.------'Gorgeous debut novel' Marian Keyes'Warm and wise...a Scottish Maeve Binchy' Veronica Henry'Like getting a warm hug on a freezing cold day' Jane Fallon'So warm and engaging. A total treat' Beth O'Leary