From 1960s Italy to present-day Ireland, Ripeness is the story of a family secret that rips a teenage girl's world apart, only for her to discover its true meaning decades later.
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Summerwater, Sarah Moss.
'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 finally free. But with the arrival of an unexpected message, Edith must 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
| ISBN: | 9781529035490 |
| Publication date: | 22nd May 2025 |
| Author: | Sarah Moss |
| Publisher: | Picador an imprint of Pan Macmillan |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 304 pages |
| Genres: |
Family Drama Narrative theme: Coming of age Narrative theme: Identity / belonging Narrative theme: Politics Narrative theme: Displacement, exile, migration Narrative theme: Sense of place Narrative theme: Social issues Modern and Contemporary Fiction Historical Fiction |
From 1960s Italy to present-day Ireland, Ripeness is the story of a family secret that rips a teenage girl's world apart, only for her to discover its true meaning decades later.
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Summerwater, Sarah Moss.
'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 finally free. But with the arrival of an unexpected message, Edith must 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
Ripeness features in the following genres: Family Drama, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: Identity / belonging, Narrative theme: Politics, Narrative theme: Displacement, exile, migration, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Narrative theme: Social issues, Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Ripeness is available in Paperback, Hardback
Ripeness was written by Sarah Moss and published by Picador an imprint of Pan Macmillan
Ripeness has 304 pages
£18.00