Things We Lose in Waves

Lucy Ayrton

Jenny’s world is falling apart.

Ravenspurn is falling into the sea. The little town is perched on a remote cliff, and every day, frequent storms are claiming more land, more homes and more livelihoods.

The news of her father’s sudden death forces Jenny’s return to her hometown from London, but the ravaged landscape now feels like a foreign place. In a small town like Ravenspurn, the rifts between her and those she once knew are so deep they threaten to swallow her whole.

Jenny is now responsible for her late father’s small pub, and its staff, Alex and Si – her former best friend and ex-boyfriend, now a couple. She’s stuck living in her childhood bedroom, orbiting awkwardly around her distant mother. Her boyfriend is still in London, separated by more than just distance. Each day that Jenny remains, the town seems to shrink around her, but she knows soon the pandemic will be over. Soon, she’ll be able to return to her real life.

But the secrets and the unspoken regrets that have come to haunt Jenny are not so easily escaped. In the claustrophobia of Ravenspurn, where can she turn?

A timely story of a home pushed to the breaking point; Things We Lose in Waves explores how you keep afloat when your world is falling away from underneath your feet.

“This moving story of grief and loneliness is beautifully told and the characters are so vivid and memorable, I couldn't stop thinking of them.”
Daily Mail
“A small town, where everyone has their secrets - I felt as though I was walking the streets of Ravenspurn as I read. Filled with complex characters and exquisite writing, this is a wonderful book. ”
Louise Hare
“A moving exploration of self, family, and what it means to be truly "home," this novel will grab your heart and never let go.”
Suzette Mayr
“As a town's foundation erodes, so does Jenny, wounded by past and present alike. Emotionally rich and artfully restrained, this is a beautiful, atmospheric work.”
Elizabeth McKenzie

Other books by Lucy Ayrton