The Fourth Shore

Liliana's beloved husband has been dead six months when she finds a roll of banknotes in a drawer with a note: Treat yourself to something nice, love. The same morning, in her local cafe, she spies the headline on La Republica: two men have been shot and injured in Rome and it is suspected that Libya's Colonel Gadaffi is behind it. When she reads the name of one of the victims, Abrama Cattaneo, the last forty years of her life in England - not speaking Italian, never mentioning her Italian family - disappear in an instant. She is transported back to her years in Italy and in Tripoli, and she realises that Cattaneo, a poet, is the nephew she last saw when he was a baby.

Immediately she knows what she must do. She boards a place to Rome, where she plans to reclaim the life that she failed to have. Her real life.

Moving between past and present, to explore Liliana's years as a young woman in Tripoli under Italian occupation, THE FOURTH SHORE shines a light on a forgotten period of brutal repression and once again shows that the emotionally crippling effects of war linger for decades after the fighting has stopped.

Effortlessly enjoyable . . . an emotionally rewarding novel so succulent with detail that you can almost feel the Tripoli sand storms whipping across your face Daily Mail
Fans of Victoria Hislop will love The Fourth Shore Good Housekeeping
As gripping as any thriller . . . crammed with the sort of heart-stopping, heart-breaking scenes that brought a lump to the throat of even this jaded reviewer. Really, really good Daily Mail, praise for Early One Morning
A moving assertion of the power of maternal love to overcome unimaginable obstacles Sunday Times, praise for Early One Morning
Incredibly sure-footed, a big, generous and absorbing piece of storytelling, fearless, witty and full of flair . . .Even as it forces its characters to lose so much, it asserts itself against those losses with vehemence and hope Samantha Harvey, Guardian, praise for Early One Morning
A real treat: a beautifully written account of the long consequences of war, set in a richly evoked Roman of the 1970s Philip Hensher, Observer, praise for Early One Morning
Baily subtly tugs at your heartstrings and by the end of her novel you're likely to be as desperate as the women in Daniele's life to discover his fate Daily Express, praise for Early One Morning
Heartbreaking . . . a powerful story of sacrifice, despair and ultimately redemption Sunday Express, praise for Early One Morning
Wonderful . . . I was completely inside it from the first pages, just that delicious (rare) feeling of knowing you're in safe hands, this writer isn't going to make a mess of anything, or forfeit your trust or your belief. It managed to be so witty and dry and true . . . Vividly intelligent, gripping and moving and alive Tessa Hadley, praise for Early One Morning
So effortlessly enjoyable she almost slips into the guilty pleasure category, yet she is also so accomplished there's really nothing to feel guilty about . . . Baily sheds light on a neglected area of pre-war history in ways that are both politically astute and deeply satisfying Daily Mail
A wholly enjoyable historical novel Daily Mail

Virginia Baily holds a PhD and MA in English from the University of Exeter. She founded and co-edits Riptide, a short-story journal. She is also the co-editor of the political series of the Africa Research Bulletin. She lives in Exeter, Devon. Her novels include Early One Morning and The Fourth Shore.

Liliana's beloved husband has been dead six months when she finds a roll of banknotes in a drawer with a note: Treat yourself to something nice, love. The same morning, in her local cafe, she spies the headline on La Republica : two men have been shot and injured in Rome and it is suspected that Libya's Colonel Gadaffi is behind it. When she reads the name of one of the victims, Abrama Cattaneo, the last forty years of her life in England - not speaking Italian, never mentioning her Italian family - disappear in an instant. She is transported back to her years in Italy and in Tripoli, and she realises that Cattaneo, a poet, is the nephew she last saw when he was a baby. Immediately she knows what she must do. She boards a place to Rome, where she plans to reclaim the life that she failed to have. Her real life. Moving between past and present, to explore Liliana's years as a young woman in Tripoli under Italian occupation, THE FOURTH SHORE shines a light on a forgotten period of brutal repression and once again shows that the emotionally crippling effects of war linger for decades after the fighting has stopped.

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