Abacus
Little, Brown
Little, Brown
Little, Brown
A beautiful, intimate memoir that offers an extraordinary message of hope.
'Extraordinarily brave and tender... a book that sings with love and hope' Dr Rachel Clarke
'Profoundly moving' The Times
'Extraordinary' Anita Rani, Woman's Hour
'Full of strength and hope' Kate Mosse
'Tender, heart-breaking and astonishingly eloquent' Evening Standard
'The most beautiful thing I have ever read' Tom Bradby
'If I were to look closely at the jagged edges of my fragmented heart, I'm sure I'd see that some spaces now shine with gold. And that is what he left for me.'
On the 17th November 2019, Grey Atticus Fox was born, nine weeks early, to Georgie and Mike in a Kent Hospital.
Heart-wrenching, cathartic, life-affirming, this is her account of the twenty-one days they had together, and its aftermath - the search to make sense of unimaginable loss. It bears witness to both the confusion and the clarity that accompany great pain, and stands as a testament to empathy, care and humanity when life is at its hardest.
I have spent the evening reading (and, yes, God, tissues ...) It is heart breaking, beautiful, important, full of integrity, powerful and honest, inspiring & full of the wonder of women and love ... In bits ... but also, full of admiration. Georgina is a wonderful writer, clear & honest, but never sentimental, and she lets all the other people going through this terrible time with her shine as well. It's also full of strength and hope, and I've no doubt will both help many and also give comfort to other mothers & fathers who have lost a child.
This quietly devastating account of birth, pain and loss is gripping. As I read, I was lost in the quiet, tense atmosphere of Grey's story. Georgina Lucas portrays the world of the NICU in minute, often poetic detail, finding warmth and humour when life seems bleakest. It is an unflinching and beautiful book, ending on a note of light and love in a way that should inspire us all.
An extraordinary read. This tender, exquisite memoir explores devastating loss and grief, yes, but most of all it is a book about the surpassing, redemptive power of love. I cannot stop thinking about it.
I finished reading this yesterday in a welter of emotions and not a few tears. I think that this is an amazing story, delicately but powerfully told. Georgina's observations of people, places and events ring so true - they are so often searingly accurate and also so wonderfully compassionate.
Despite what could be an inexorably sad story I'm interested that the words I wrote down as I read it are all positive: optimism / hope / strength / power / love. It is my firm belief that immortality is being remembered by those who loved us and Greyman undoubtedly will continue to be remembered and celebrated.
Wow. That has been a heart-wrenching few hours' reading - difficult to read with streaming eyes! It's an incredibly sad but in some ways, also a truly beautiful story. It is heart-breaking in the sense of loss and tragedy, but also uplifting in the way the love sings from each page. Really quite extraordinary.
Georgie Lucas writes superbly with her spare, and unsentimental prose.
This is the most beautiful thing I have ever read; a heart-breaking account of a tragic death that is also a profound, lyrical, sometimes funny and ultimately joyful meditation on the meaning of life. The book of the year, perhaps the decade.