Maria in the Moon

‘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