Missing Words
A literary novella of magic realism
Published on 5. August 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
160 pages
978-1-912054-03-9 (ISBN)
Description
Postal worker Jenny's life is in the doldrums. Her daughter is all grown up and ready to face the world, her marriage is falling apart, and now her best friend and colleague tells her he plans to retire. So, when a postcard from Australia, begging the recipient for forgiveness but marked 'insufficient address', lands on her sorting table, she does the unthinkable - she slips it up her sleeve, with the intention of delivering it herself.
Jenny sets off on a journey around the Isle of Wight, determined to find the recipient, and with the help of the locals she hopes to reunite the long-lost lovers. Will she be able to give them the happy ending she didn't allow herself to have?
Set against the backdrop of the strikes in the 1980s, Missing Words is a heart-warming journey about self-discovery, the power of family ties, and the strength needed to face whatever life throws your way.
Jenny sets off on a journey around the Isle of Wight, determined to find the recipient, and with the help of the locals she hopes to reunite the long-lost lovers. Will she be able to give them the happy ending she didn't allow herself to have?
Set against the backdrop of the strikes in the 1980s, Missing Words is a heart-warming journey about self-discovery, the power of family ties, and the strength needed to face whatever life throws your way.
Reviews / Votes
'This is a divine debut, sublimely written, and we read about an ordinary life made less ordinary, by a simple message, but oh so powerful. I read this straight through and in places shed tears; this moved me and I wholeheartedly recommend it' -Pete Adams, multi-award-winning author'A relatable story of family and grief and yearning, wrapped up in a compelling mystery. Without doubt, a writer to watch' -Laura Pearson, author of I Wanted You to Know
'This is a little gem. Loree Westron can certainly tell a good story, and she also possesses that rare commodity: a tender and wise understanding of the human condition' -Gabrielle Kimm, author of His Last Duchess
'Like cycling the hills of the Isle of Wight, this book draws you in to its undulating rhythm while propelling you on to see what lies over the next brow' -Josie Dew, cyclist and author of The Wind in my Wheels
'Missing Words is an utterly human and moving family drama in which we watch one woman double-back into her past to find the future' -Alison MacLeod, author of Unexploded, longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 178 mm
Width: 111 mm
Thickness: 9 mm
Weight
105 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-912054-03-9 (9781912054039)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Loree Westron lives in Portsmouth. She has previously worked at the local Royal Mail sorting office, an experience that influenced Missing Words. Loree has an MA in Creative Writing Chichester University. Her short stories have placed highly in competitions including the Fish Prize and the V.S. Pritchett Memorial Prize. Her writing has been published in journals and anthologies including The London Magazine. Missing Words is her debut novella.