The Bay by Julia Rampen

DESCRIPTION

A tender and poignant debut of the redemptive power of unexpected friendship.

In an old-fashioned fishing community on Morecambe Bay, change is imperceptibly slow. Treacherous tides sweep the quicksands, claiming everything in their path.

As a boy, Arthur had followed in his father's and grandfather's footprints, learning to read the currents and shifting sands. Now retired and widowed, though, he feels ignored, redundant. His daughter wants him in a retirement home. No one listens to his rants about the newcomers striking out nightly onto the bay for cockles, seemingly oblivious to the dangers.

When Arthur's path crosses Suling's, both are running out of options. Barely yet an adult, Suling's hopes for a better life have given way to fear; she's without papers or money, speaks no English, and chased by ruthless debt collectors. Her only next step is to trust the old man.

Combining warmth and suspense and recalling a true incident, The Bay tells a tender story about loneliness, confronting prejudice, and the comfort of friendship, however unlikely—as well as exposing one of the most pressing social ills of our age.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JULIA RAMPEN is a Scottish-Canadian journalist, podcaster, editor and writer based in Liverpool. She is the Media Director for IMIX, a charity that supports refugees and migrants in telling their stories to the media, and co-founder of the storytelling platform Qisetna: Talking Syria. She was formerly the digital night editor of The Liverpool Echo and digital news editor of The New Statesman. The Bay is her first novel.

PRAISE

"A beautifully crafted and utterly absorbing story." — Janine Bradbury, University of York

"A truly remarkable book." — Kate Simante, author of A Ruined Girl

"A study of empathy and compassion, in lyrical prose." — Catherine Simpson, author of One Body

DETAILS

Paperback | 282 pages