Description
The acclaimed novel from Roma Tearne.
Despite the dark clouds of war looming on the horizon, thirteen-year-old Cecily’s head is full of first love, ice cream and sibling rivalry.
She looks constantly to her impossibly beautiful elder sister, Rose, with a mixture of envy and admiration. Desperately curious about Rose’s secrets, and those of all the adults around her, Cecily eavesdrops at every opportunity that summer: with dire consequences.
For Cecily’s actions one fateful night at the outbreak of the Second World War will ultimately tear her family apart and echo across the generations. It is not until many years later that a grown-up Cecily can return to her childhood home and unravel the remaining family secrets. And finally lay some ghosts to rest.
Reviews
‘Exquisitely written … once read, not easily forgotten’ Fay Weldon
‘Tearne charts the patterns of love and loss with beautiful prose’ Sunday Times
‘Tearne brings her skills as a painter to her writing’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Tearne is brilliant on first love, sibling rivalry and that long hot summer of adolescence that we all remember before we had to put away childish things. By the final chapters, tension grips like a vice, and you’re still reading at 3am.’ The Independent
‘[Tearne] has a wonderful ability to create atmosphere.’ The Times
‘The Last Pier is an intriguing book which absorbed me right up to the final page. Set just before the outbreak of the Second World War when the expectation of external respectability in England was at its height, it explores the layers of smoke and mirrors that are used by a family to achieve a seemingly normal and moral life. In the midst of this ordinary family marching unknowingly towards the Second World War, as two teenage sisters grow up,the increasing knowledge of the duplicity of adults intervenes and leads to a shocking conclusion. Beautifully written and difficult to stop thinking about.’ Jo Brand
‘A beautifully written, evocative tale that explores sibling rivalry, guilt, and the complexities of familial love.’Neverimitate
‘An engaging and atmospheric page-turner.’ Bailieborough Library Reading Group
‘An exquisite writer and captivating storyteller’ Aminatta Forna
Bonus Material
