LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021'A WORD-OF-MOUTH HIT' Evening Standard

1957, the suburbs of South East London. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and - possibly - happiness.

But there will, inevitably, be a price to pay. Book of the Year for: The Times, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Daily Express, Metro, Spectator, Red Magazine and Good Housekeeping

'A very fine book... It's witty and sharp and reads like something by Barbara Pym or Anita Brookner, without ever feeling like a pastiche'David Nicholls,

'Perfect'India Knight 'Beautiful' Jessie Burton,

'Wonderful'Richard Osman,

'Miraculous'Tracy Chevalier,

'A wonderful novel. I loved it'Nina Stibbe,

'Effortless to read, but every sentence lingers in the mind' Lissa Evans,

'This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I honestly don't want you to be without it' Lucy Mangan'Gorgeous.