'An exquisitely beautiful and compelling novel about love, loss and life' Rachel Joyce
'This captivated me...This beautiful book shows us that grief is not a problem to solve, but an expression of love, as we watch a family come together in the most heartwarming way.' Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Edward
_____________________________________
For Rich, life is golden.
He fizzes with happiness and love.
But Rich has an incurable brain tumour.
When Rich dies, he leaves behind a family without a father, a husband, a son and a best friend. His wife, Ruth, can't imagine living without him and finds herself faced with a grief she's not sure she can find her way through.
At the same time, their young son Ollie becomes intent on working out the meaning of life. Because everything happens for a reason. Doesn't it?
But when they discover a mismatched collection of presents left by Rich for his loved ones, it provides a puzzle for them to solve, one that will help Ruth navigate her sorrow and help Ollie come to terms with what's happened. Together, they will learn to lay the ghosts of the past to rest, and treasure the true gift that Rich has left them: the ability to embrace life and love every moment.
Harriet Kline weaves together the voices of a grieving family and paints an achingly beautiful picture of love in all its forms: absent, lost and, ultimately, regained.
Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
ISBN: 9780857526274
Number of pages: 320
Weight: 485 g
Dimensions: 223 x 162 x 29 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
An exquisitely beautiful and compelling novel about love, loss and life * Rachel Joyce *
Poignant but never maudlin, sweet but never saccharine, This Shining Life give us a heartbroken family, complicated and familiar in the best ways, going through the hardest of times but finding love and hope and, especially, one another. * Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is *
Harriet Kline's This Shining Life captivated me because it's peopled with lovely and lovable characters who are all trying to solve the problem of grief. Ollie, at eleven-years old, sees this equation in the starkest terms, but his mother Ruth, Aunt Nessa, and grandparents are all struggling too, following the death of Ollie's dad, Rich. This beautiful book shows us that grief is not a problem to solve, but an expression of love, as we watch a family come together in the most heartwarming way. * Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Edward *
A 'Summer best new reads': the bittersweet story of a family coming together in grief. * Waitrose Magazine *
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“Poignant and heartwarming, a beautiful study of grief in all its forms”
In the wake of her husband Rich’s premature death, Ruth is struggling to cope with caring for their young son Ollie alongside her eccentric family. Ollie, meanwhile, is intent on trying to figure out the meaning... More
“A beautiful story of loss.”
This Shining Life is a beautifully written story of a family’s growing understanding of themselves, others and loss. Harriet Kline’s description of place and person transport you into this deeply moving tale with not... More
“Moving”
This Shining Life is a genuinely moving book. It's a sweet and sad tale of how a death from cancer devastates a family. Ollie, the autistic son of the deceased is a wonderful memorable character as he struggles... More
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