AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 BOOKCLUB

The Morrison siblings have been haunted by tragedy since the sudden death of their parents in an accident when they were young.

Kate found an escape from the legacy of their dark past in her passion for the natural world. Now a zoologist far away from the small farming community where she grew up, she thinks she''s outgrown her three brothers, who were once her entire world.

But Kate can''t seem to escape her childhood or lighten the weight of their mutual past.

''I''ve been trying to tell everyone I know about Mary Lawson . . . Each one of her novels is just a marvel'' Anne Tyler, bestselling author of French Braid

''A remarkable novel, utterly gripping...I read it at a single sitting, then I read it again, just for the pleasure of it'' Joanne Harris, bestselling author of Chocolat

''Full of blossoming insights and emotional acuity...a compelling and serious page-turner'' Observer