Description

In 1960s Italy, a family secret rips a teenage girl's world apart, only for her to discover its true meaning decades later. 

'Moss makes every moment count' - The Sunday Times 'A book of lasting pleasures' - Eleanor Catton 'Powerful and beautifully written' - The Guardian

Just out of school and teetering on the brink of adulthood, Edith is sent alone to rural Italy. Her task is simple: support her sister Lydia, a brilliant but brittle ballet dancer, through the final weeks of her pregnancy.

Once the baby is born, she is to make a phone call that will change all of their lives forever. Decades later, Edith is living a contented life in Ireland, happily divorced and unexpectedly free. But when her friend Méabh receives an email from a stranger claiming to be her brother, everything shifts.

As Méabh confronts a history she never knew she had, Edith must finally face the truth of that long-ago summer, and the secret she has carried for a lifetime.

‘Tender and rueful’ - Emma Donoghue 'A deliciou's novel' - Literary Review 'Sublime . .. glorious' - Vogue 'Luminous' - Financial Times 'Beautifully crafted . .. absorbing and moving' - Daily Mail


Paperback | Publication: 28 May 2026, Picador

ISBN: 9781529035520 | Extent: 304 pages

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Ripeness by Sarah Moss

    In 1960s Italy, a family secret rips a teenage girl's world apart, only for her to discover its true meaning... Read more

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      Description

      In 1960s Italy, a family secret rips a teenage girl's world apart, only for her to discover its true meaning decades later. 

      'Moss makes every moment count' - The Sunday Times 'A book of lasting pleasures' - Eleanor Catton 'Powerful and beautifully written' - The Guardian

      Just out of school and teetering on the brink of adulthood, Edith is sent alone to rural Italy. Her task is simple: support her sister Lydia, a brilliant but brittle ballet dancer, through the final weeks of her pregnancy.

      Once the baby is born, she is to make a phone call that will change all of their lives forever. Decades later, Edith is living a contented life in Ireland, happily divorced and unexpectedly free. But when her friend Méabh receives an email from a stranger claiming to be her brother, everything shifts.

      As Méabh confronts a history she never knew she had, Edith must finally face the truth of that long-ago summer, and the secret she has carried for a lifetime.

      ‘Tender and rueful’ - Emma Donoghue 'A deliciou's novel' - Literary Review 'Sublime . .. glorious' - Vogue 'Luminous' - Financial Times 'Beautifully crafted . .. absorbing and moving' - Daily Mail


      Paperback | Publication: 28 May 2026, Picador

      ISBN: 9781529035520 | Extent: 304 pages

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