Relativity (Hardback)

Relativity is wonderful, a beautifully written, heartbreaking novel that I feel certain will find the huge audience it deserves. -- S J Watson, author of BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP and SECOND LIFE
Original, compassionate, cleverly plotted, and genuinely difficult to put down. The premise is compelling and the plot twists and turns without ever feeling forced. This novel is an intelligent, honest and compassionate look at people and relationships under stress: the shocking revelation [in it] is tempered with real insight as to how such things happen. -- Greeme Simsion, author of THE ROSIE PROJECT and THE ROSIE EFFECT
Relativity is a novel of assured and measured empathy, a story of familial love and familial hurt that is fair, honest and remarkably non-judgemental. Hayes is a convincing writer and a true storyteller: her characters are alive. -- Christis Tsiolkas, author of THE SLAP
The race towards the conclusion keeps us guessing, but ultimately, it's the beautifully drawn characters who stay with you long after the final page. * Australian Women's Weekly *
Relativity left even my cynical heart pounding . . . [many] writers could learn something from Hayes . . . wonderful and beyond inventive - if one of the precise pleasures of fiction is a glimpse at someone else's thought processes, this is indeed a marvel. * The Saturday Paper *
Relativity is a transcendental book that manages to stay grounded and true in its warmth and pathos. With fully realised characters and a gripping storyline that unfolds into a carefully constructed equation of familial love, I could not put it down. -- Alice Pung, author of UNPOLISHED GEM and LAURINDA
Pulls you into the moment like you've unexpectedly pin-dropped through Antarctic ice . . . Relativity upends expectations and holds you in its thrall as Hayes asks unsettling questions about the frailties of memory and love . . . An Australian debut not to be missed. * Readings Monthly *
A charming and fresh debut placing a family's secrets in the great expanse of the universe. * Kirkus Reviews *
Wrought with depth, emotion and intricately crafted language, this novel is captivating and heart-wrenching. A painful topic becomes the foundation for a beautiful story when written with such compassionate precision, leaving readers contemplating the depth of human forgiveness and the gravity that binds us together. * RT Book Reviews *
With its thoughtful consideration of family dynamics and its strong thematic currents, Hayes's excellent debut will appeal to fans of JoJo Moyes * Publishers Weekly *
With an ingenious premise, this cleverly plotted, well-executed novel, set in Australia, dramatically examines a family in extremis and contemplates how the past can poison the present with devastating effect until the antidote, love, appears * Booklist *
An affecting, gripping debut novel about the nature of family and identity * Mail on Sunday *
Hayes beautifully evokes the gulping, fear-filled love a vulnerable child imparts on its parents ... Ethan's believability is crucial for the novel's emotional effect, and he's convincingly drawn ... he comes alive in Hayes' tender hands. * The Big Issue *
Set in Australia and merging science and emotions, the full story is revealed slowly and the writing is memorable. * Choice magazine *
The beautiful storytelling unravels layer-by-layer to reveal the complexities surrounding Ethan and Claire's past, making it an absorbing read that will stay with you. * Independent *