Allan Radcliffe is an accomplished writer of short stories and he brings some of that same spare beauty to his debut novel. This poignant Bildungsroman is at once a tender tale of queer awakening in the Edinburgh of the 80’s and 90’s and a heart-breaking love letter from a young man to his lost parents. Suffused with longing for those precious moments in life we can never get back, it is written through with gleaming prose and a quiet sense of hope’ — Mary Paulson-Ellis, bestselling author of The Other Mrs Walker, The Inheritance of Soloman Farthing and Emily Noble’s Disgrace

‘Allan Radcliffe’s debut touched my heart with its quiet, intimate look at grief, love, family and romantic relationships, told with masterful spare prose. It is both insightful and observant, warm and infinitely relatable. I will be thinking of Jamie and his story for a long time.‘ — Henry Fry, author of First Time for Everything

A rippling, multifaceted jewel of a novel – elegant and unshowy, it dazzles with a distinct and irresistible inner luminosity. Poignant and compelling, it is resonant with vivid images. The writing flows, emotive and understated, with an enigmatic and impressive momentum. A stunning, indelible debut.’ — Kevin MacNeil, author of The Brilliant & Forever