A mother can never be free until she finds her children... A gripping, soaring and redemptive novel of a mother's determination to put the fragments of her family back together.'A strong and beautiful novel that stares into the face of brutality and the heart of love' Jeanette Winterson'Magnificent and epic. A story about love and the power it brings us' ' Frank Cottrell-Boyce 'A powerful story, beautifully told' Jessica Moor'It slices you open, lays out your parts, reassembles them and knits you back up again. A powerful account of love, loss, defiance... Breathtaking' Chikodili Emelumadu 'Beautiful... A masterclass in how to speak of unspeakable things' Meg Clothier----------------------------We whisper the names of the ones we love like the words of a song. That was the taste of freedom to us, those names on our lips. Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. These are the names of her children. The five who survived, only to be sold to other plantations. The faces Rachel cannot forget. It's 1834, and the law says her people are now free. But for Rachel freedom means finding her children, even if the truth is more than she can bear. With fear snapping at her heels, Rachel keeps moving. From sunrise to sunset, through the cane fields of Barbados to the forests of British Guiana and on to Trinidad, to the dangerous river and the open sea. Only once she knows their stories can she rest. Only then can she finally find home.Inspired by the women who, in the aftermath of slavery, went in search of their lost children. ----------------------------'An immersive debut. A tender exploration of one woman's courage in the face of unbelievable cruelty. The heart of the novel lies in its celebration of motherhood and female resilience' Observer'The compelling premise of a mother in search of her children powers a moving and dynamic novel' Guardian 'A powerful, gripping novel about the strength of a mother's love' Red - The best books of January 2023'Full of love and compassion, this will be everywhere next year' Stylist - Pick of the big fiction books for 2023'Powerful, moving and lyrical' Woman & Home'A glorious and compelling story' Prima'Eleanor Shearer is a remarkable writer' Natasha Lester'An extraordinary odyssey of pain, love, and homecoming' Kate Quinn'A stunning debut with real characters that lock themselves in your heart' Sadeqa Johnson'A searing debut. Heartbreaking, hopeful, and unforgettable' Kristin Harmel'An extraordinary and gripping debut. A must-read' Chanel Cleeton'Lyrical, heartbreaking, thought-provoking' Costanza Casati