Everything Happens for a Reason

A debut novel that explores the themes of grief,loss,and the search for meaning in the aftermath of a tragedy. Rachel becomes obsessed with the idea that saving a stranger's life months earlier is to blame for her stillborn baby, and she sets out to find him with the help of an unlikely ally. The book is a bittersweet, life-affirming read that will keep you both laughing and crying until the last page.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 10 June 2021
Publisher: Orenda Books

When Rachel's baby is stillborn, she becomes obsessed with the idea that saving a stranger's life months earlier is to blame. An unforgettable, heart-wrenching, warm, and funny debut... Emotionally engaging, witty, clever, and wonderfully satisfying.

Daily Express: "A stunning debut... a wise, moving, and thought-provoking novel."

Susan Elliot Wright, author of "The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood": "A heartbreaking, deeply moving, and wonderfully witty tale, which celebrates all it means to be human."

Isabelle Broom, author of "The Getaway": "A heartbreaking, deeply moving, and wonderfully witty tale, which celebrates all it means to be human."

Mum-to-be Rachel did everything right, but it all went wrong. Her son, Luke, was stillborn, and she finds herself on maternity leave without a baby, trying to make sense of her loss.

When a misguided well-wisher tells her that "everything happens for a reason," she becomes obsessed with finding that reason, driven by grief and convinced that she is somehow to blame. She remembers that on the day she discovered her pregnancy, she stopped a man from jumping in front of a train, and she's now certain that saving his life cost her the life of her son.

Desperate to find him, she enlists an unlikely ally in Lola, an Underground worker, and Lola's seven-year-old daughter, Josephine, and eventually tracks him down, with completely unexpected results.

Both a heart-wrenchingly poignant portrait of grief and a gloriously uplifting and disarmingly funny story of a young woman's determination, "Everything Happens for a Reason" is a bittersweet, life-affirming read and, quite simply, unforgettable.

'A beautiful novel, bursting with raw emotional honesty and authenticity.' Gill Paul, author of "The Secret Wife."

"So affecting. Profoundly sad. Funny. I just loved it." Louise Beech, author of "This Is How We Are Human."

"Darkly funny, yet poignant and moving... Rachel's quest to find the truth is both heart-wrenching and hilarious." Emily Henry, author of "Beach Read."

"A powerful and emotional debut... Rachel's journey is both heart-breaking and inspiring." Sarah Pearse, author of "The Sanatorium."

"A beautifully written and compelling story... Rachel's search for answers is both heartbreaking and hopeful." Claire Mackintosh, author of "I Let You Go."

"A heart-wrenching and emotional tale... Rachel's journey is filled with pain, but also hope and redemption." Jennifer Egan, author of "A Visit from the Goon Squad."

"A stunning debut... a wise, moving, and thought-provoking novel." Susan Elliot Wright, author of "The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood."

"A heartbreaking, deeply moving, and wonderfully witty tale, which celebrates all it means to be human." Isabelle Broom, author of "The Getaway."

"A heartbreaking, deeply moving, and wonderfully witty tale, which celebrates all it means to be human." Isabelle Broom, author of "The Getaway."

"A heartbreaking, deeply moving, and wonderfully witty tale, which celebrates all it means to be human." Isabelle Broom, author of "The Getaway."

"A heartbreaking, deeply moving, and wonderfully witty tale, which celebrates all it means to be human." Isabelle Broom, author of "The Getaway."

"A heartbreaking, deeply moving, and wonderfully witty tale, which celebrates all it means to be human." Isabelle Broom, author of "The Getaway."

Weight: 334g
Dimension: 129 x 197 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781913193614