For When I'm Gone

'For fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Jojo Moyes, this is a sweeping book of love, motherhood, death and hope' STYLIST

'Wonderfully assured' THE TIMES

'Pass the tissues...' EVENING STANDARD

'Lovely novel. Highly recommend' JENNI MURRAY

'Beautifully written' THE SUN

'Prepare for heartbreak' WOMAN & HOME

'A beautiful story' LAURA PEARSON

'Brilliant' BELLA

Because there's never enough time to say goodbye...

Sylvia knows that she's running out of time. Very soon, she will exist only in the memories of those who loved her most and the pieces of her life she's left behind.

So she begins to write her husband a handbook for when she's gone, somewhere to capture the small moments of ordinary, precious happiness in their married lives. From raising their wild, loving son, to what to give their gentle daughter on her eighteenth birthday - it's everything she should have told him before it was too late.

But Sylvia also has a secret, one that she's saved until the very last pages. And it's a moment in her past that could change everything...

Praise for For When I'm Gone:

'Beautifully written, with powerful messages of hope' KATHERINE WEBB

'A moving portrait of a modern family in crisis' FRANCESCA HORNAK

'Ley took my breath away. Exquisitely written and deeply effective' KATE WEINBERG

'Heart-breaking. Beautifully written. Reminded me of Maggie O'Farrell' REBECCA THORNTON

'A beautiful, sharply observed tale of motherhood, complicated women and family dynamics' CHARLOTTE PHILBY

'Heartbreaking and yet uplifting... Rebecca Ley has written a wonderful debu't JENNY QUINTANA

'Rebecca Ley explores the need for love, forgiveness and remembrance that's within us all' WOMAN'S WEEKLY

“It's heart-breaking. Beautifully written. Reminded me of Maggie O'Farrell - Rebecca ThorntonTook my breath away. Exquisitely written - Kate WeinbergA moving portrait of a modern family in crisis - Francesca HornakBeautifully written, with powerful messages of hope - Katherine Webb”

Wonderfully assured... For When I'm Gone is a sad novel because it could hardly be anything else, but Ley's crisp, witty writing keeps it firmly on the right side of mawkishness. -- Kate Saunders THE TIMES
A beautifully written, incredibly sad debut that will make you value living that little bit more. Five stars. -- Natasha Harding THE SUN, Book of the Week
Beautifully written, with powerful messages of hope. Katherine Webb
We couldn't put down this brilliant book. BELLA
A moving portrait of a modern family in crisis. Francesca Hornak
Ley took my breath away. Exquisitely written and deeply effective. Kate Weinberg
It's heart-breaking. Beautifully written. Reminded me of Maggie O'Farrell. Rebecca Thornton
A beautiful, sharply observed tale of motherhood, complicated women and family dynamics. Charlotte Philby
Heartbreaking and yet uplifting... Rebecca Ley has written a wonderful debut. Jenny Quintana
Rebecca Ley explores the need for love, forgiveness and remembrance that's within us all... The quality of writing, characters and hopeful ending makes the heartbreak easier to bear. WOMAN'S WEEKLY
A heartbreaking book, beautifully written and with messages of hope for the reader. WOMAN'S WAY

Rebecca Ley is a journalist who wrote a column for the Guardian, Doing it for Dad, about her father's dementia. She has previously worked at the Times, the Sun and the Daily Mail. For When I'm Gone is her debut novel.

'For fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Jojo Moyes, this is a sweeping book of love, motherhood, death and hope' STYLIST 'Wonderfully assured' THE TIMES 'Pass the tissues...' EVENING STANDARD 'Beautifully written' THE SUN 'Prepare for heartbreak' WOMAN & HOME 'A beautiful story' LAURA PEARSON 'Brilliant' BELLA Because there's never enough time to say goodbye... Sylvia knows that she's running out of time. Very soon, she will exist only in the memories of those who loved her most and the pieces of her life she's left behind.So she begins to write her husband a handbook for when she's gone, somewhere to capture the small moments of ordinary, precious happiness in their married lives. From raising their wild, loving son, to what to give their gentle daughter on her eighteenth birthday - it's everything she should have told him before it was too late.But Sylvia also has a secret, one that she's saved until the very last pages. And it's a moment in her past that could change everything... Praise for For When I'm Gone: 'Beautifully written, with powerful messages of hope' KATHERINE WEBB'A moving portrait of a modern family in crisis' FRANCESCA HORNAK'Ley took my breath away. Exquisitely written and deeply effective' KATE WEINBERG'Heart-breaking. Beautifully written. Reminded me of Maggie O'Farrell' REBECCA THORNTON'A beautiful, sharply observed tale of motherhood, complicated women and family dynamics' CHARLOTTE PHILBY'Heartbreaking and yet uplifting... Rebecca Ley has written a wonderful debu't JENNY QUINTANA'Rebecca Ley explores the need for love, forgiveness and remembrance that's within us all' WOMAN'S WEEKLY

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