Uplit novel from Bath Novel Award longlisted author, Abigail Johnson. For fans of Evie Woods, Sally Page's The Keeper of Stories and Mike Gayle.

Full of warmth and joyful community, this is the uplifting story of one woman’s journey towards letting go of the past and creating memories worth holding on to . . .

‘I adored this heartwarming tale’ – Kate Storey, author of The Memory Library

'Full of charm' - Laura Pearson, author of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont

'An uplifting read - heartwarming and full of hope' - Neil Alexander, author of The Lost Past of Billy McQueen

Meet Gracie. At mid-life, she’s fed up with her unhappy marriage and humdrum career. So when a new housing estate threatens to sever her last connection to her late father – the oak tree he planted as a child – she decides to take a stand. Only Gracie has never stood up to anyone.

When Gracie’s five-year-old neighbour, Tilly, unexpectedly bounds into her life, she shows Gracie that you shouldn’t always take no for an answer. Despite long-buried family secrets being revealed and conflicts taking root, Gracie begins to think that this could be the beginning of a new chapter – one in which she finally discovers her inner strength and realizes that even in the face of loss, there is hope.

'Warm and tender . . . this book had me smiling, crying and cheering' - Jay McKenzie, author of How to Lose the Lottery

‘Very real and heartwarming . . . I loved it’ – Alexandra Potter, bestselling author of Confessions of a Forty-Something

‘Wonderfully drawn characters you really root for’ – Mike Gayle, author of All the Lonely People

‘It’s not often that a book can make me cry, but this one definitely did’

‘Both heart-wrenching and happy, a rollercoaster of emotions’

‘Very moving’

‘Heartwarming with some genius touches of humour’

‘Really made you feel like you knew the characters. Loved it’

‘The best book I have read for ages’

"A convincing case for how much we need friendship and community to sustain us" - The Times

"A touching story about grief . . . and the surprising way we can make connections" - People's Friend

"This uplifting story about friendship across generations is full of compassion and tenderness" - Platinum Magazine

"With wonderfully relatable characters, Johnson’s debut novel is a heartwarming and poignant story of loss, loneliness and finding friendship in unexpected places" - Culturefly

"You won't want this touching story to end" - Peterborough Telegraph