Maria in the Moon

Overview

Dark, poignant and deeply moving, Maria in the Moon is an examination of the nature of memory and truth, and the defenses we build to protect ourselves, when we can no longer hide

'Quirky, darkly comic, but always heartfelt, this original and sad story has wonderful characters and will linger long in your memory' Sunday Mirror 'A Stirring novel, beautifully written' Irish Times A devastating memory emerges … that changes everything, in this dark and moving novel by the bestselling author of How To Be Brave and The Lion Tamer Who Lost 'Like a cold spider, the memory stirred in my head and spun an icy web about my brain. Someone else crawled in. I remembered' Thirty-one-year-old Catherine Hope has a great memory. But she can't remember everything. She can't remember her ninth year. She can't remember when her insomnia started. And she can't remember why everyone stopped calling her Catherine-Maria. With a promiscuous past, and licking her wounds after a painful breakup, Catherine wonders why she resists anything approaching real love. But when she loses her home to the devastating deluge of 2007 and volunteers at Flood Crisis, a devastating memory emerges … and changes everything. Dark, poignant and deeply moving, Maria in the Moon is an examination of the nature of memory and truth, and the defences we build to protect ourselves, when we can no longer hide… 'Part psychological thriller, part love story and fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine will love it' Red Magazine 'A beautiful and compassionate read' Prima Magazine 'Beech's exploration of the effects of childhood trauma keeps the reader intrigued until the end' Mary Ellen Quinn, Booklist 'As heartbreaking as the book ends up being, it's a title worth wading into and rolling with' Book Riot 'Beautifully constructed, laugh-out-loud funny in places, and achingly sad in others. It's such a beautifully told story of loss and gain. Equal parts Victoria Wood, Alan Bennett and John Irving, all rolled up into an emotive, heart-breaking story. I completely fell in love' John Marrs 'A beautiful, and heart-achingly touching read' LoveReading

Reviews

"Storytelling at its finest. Louise Beech is a beguiling wordsmith. Prepare to be hooked." —Amanda Prowse, author, My Husband's Wife 

"Beautifully constructed, laugh-out-loud funny in places, and achingly sad in others. I completely fell in love." —John Marrs, author, When you Disappeared

"Bold, powerful and redemptive . . . a triumph." —Katie Marsh, author, A Life Without You

"Beautiful, poignant, funny, heart-rending, dark . . . this book will stay with me for a very long time." —Claire Douglas, author, Last Seen Alive

"A story of pain and love . . . moving and real." —Vanessa Lafaye, author, At First Light

"A powerful and moving story." —Madeleine Black, author, Unbroken

"Heartfelt and wry, this will transport you into a keenly observed world; secrets are hidden, people are flawed, but humanity endures." —Ruth Dugdall, author,The Sacrificial Man

"This is real life, bruised, torn and coffee-stained, refusing to give up . . . simply stunning." —Su Bristow, author, Sealskin

Author Biography

Louise Beech is an exceptional literary talent, whose debut novel How To Be Brave was a Guardian Readers' Choice for 2015. The follow-up, The Mountain in My Shoe was shortlisted for Not the Booker Prize. Both of her previous books Maria in the Moon and The Lion Tamer Who Lost were widely reviewed, critically acclaimed and number-one bestsellers on Kindle. The Lion Tamer Who Lost was shortlisted for the RNA Most Popular Romantic Novel Award in 2019. Her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice. Louise lives with her husband on the outskirts of Hull, and loves her job as a Front of House Usher at Hull Truck Theatre, where her first play was performed in 2012.