Frankie Howe was never quite sure enough of herself to take centre stage - after all, life had already judged her harshly. Now in her eighties, she finds it easier to forget the life that came before. Then Damian, a young Irish carer, arrives at her London flat to keep an eye on her as she recovers from a fall.

A memory is sparked, and the past crackles into life as Damian listens to the story Frankie has kept stored away all these years. From post-war Ireland to 1960s New York - a city full of art, larger-than-life characters and turmoil - Frankie shares a world in which friendship and chance encounters collide. A place where life blazes with an intensity that can't last but will perhaps live on in other ways and in other people.

But as Frankie's past slowly emerges, her spirit and endurance are revealed as undeniable . . .and unforgettable. 

'I couldn't stop reading it, but feel bereft now that I've finished' Nigella Lawson

'Wonderful' The i

'A warm, deeply moving, life-enhancing novel' Sarah Winman, author of Still Life

'A masterclass in storytelling that grabs you by the heartstrings from page one and refuses to let go' Sunday Independent