When Ruth's beloved, reckless daughter is too caught up in drugs to look after her baby, Ruth decides to make off with the child. This time she'll get the love right.`I had that brilliant rare experience of the book being so good that I was in it and forgot I was reading' - Philippa Perry`This beautiful tale of love, courage and compassion ... captures the pain of estrangement in penetrating, haunting language ... a complex, deeply moving novel' ? Independent`A minor masterpiece... riveting, exquisitely written...Piercingly insightful and skilfully plotted' - Mail on Sunday `Funny... and poignant ... impeccably truthful, with a broad, oft breathtaking wisdom' -- Irish Independent` Boyt's novel is compelling - and invites our compassion for those who may not always earn it, but still deserve it' --The Sunday Telegraph` Hopeful ... heroic, humorous' -- Observer` An acute, enormously moving study of familial love' -- iNewspaper