Rook

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''Beautifully describes the landscape of the Sussex coast, echoing with battles, buried bodies and Nora the protagonist''s running shoes as she finds her own way of working through the knots of her life and those close to her'' - Readers'' Books of the Year, Guardian

''Rusbridge''s sympathetic and respectful handling of a sensitive issue conveys an emotional impact that resonates long after the closing pages'' - Times Literary Supplement

''An emotional tale of family, forgotten history and loyalty'' - Psychologies

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A mesmerising story of family, legacy and turning back the tides, Rook beautifully evokes the shifting Sussex sands, and the rich seam of history lying just beneath them

Nora, a cellist, returns home to the Sussex coast with memories she must banish in order to survive: a charismatic teacher; a mistake she cannot unmake. Her mother Ada is waiting: a fragile, bitter woman who distils for herself a glamorous past as she smokes French cigarettes in her unkempt garden. A documentary maker has arrived in the village to shoot a film about King Cnut and his illegitimate daughter, whose body lies beneath the flagstones of Bosham church. As he digs up tales of ancient battles, Ada and Nora find themselves face to face with their own carefully buried secrets.