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Ripeness

By Sarah Moss
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Brief Description
In 1960s Italy, a family secret rips a teenage girl's world apart, only for her to discover its true meaning decades later. 'Moss makes every moment count' - The Sunday Times 'A book of lasting pleasures' - Eleanor Catton 'Powerful and beautifully written' - The Guardian... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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From 1960s Italy to present-day Ireland, Ripeness is the story of a family secret that rips apart a teenage girlโ€™s world, only for her to discover its meaning decades later.

The biggest book yet from the bestselling author of Summerwater, Ripeness is a breathtaking story of love, loss and belonging that moves between 1960s Italy and modern day Ireland.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In 1960s Italy, a family secret rips a teenage girl's world apart, only for her to discover its true meaning decades later.

'Moss makes every moment count' - The Sunday Times
'A book of lasting pleasures' - Eleanor Catton
'Powerful and beautifully written' - The Guardian

Just out of school and teetering on the brink of adulthood, Edith is sent alone to rural Italy. Her task is simple: support her sister Lydia, a brilliant but brittle ballet dancer, through the final weeks of her pregnancy. Once the baby is born, she is to make a phone call that will change all of their lives forever.

Decades later, Edith is living a contented life in Ireland, happily divorced and unexpectedly free. But when her friend Mรฉabh receives an email from a stranger claiming to be her brother, everything shifts. As Mรฉabh confronts a history she never knew she had, Edith must finally face the truth of that long-ago summer, and the secret she has carried for a lifetime.

'Tender and rueful' - Emma Donoghue
'A delicious novel' - Literary Review
'Sublime . . . glorious' - Vogue
'Luminous' - Financial Times
'Beautifully crafted . . . absorbing and moving' - Daily Mail

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529035520

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 May 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Picador

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 132.0mm

Height: 202.0mm

Weight: 216g

Pages: 304

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Sarah Moss

About the Author

Sarah Moss has written several novels including the Sunday Times top ten bestseller Summerwater, and Ghost Wall, which was longlisted for the Women's Prize. She has also written a memoir of her year living in Iceland. She was born in Glasgow and grew up in the north of England. After moving between Oxford, Canterbury, Reykjavik, west Cornwall and the Midlands, she now lives in Dublin, where she teaches English and creative writing at UCD.

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