Just because you feel ordinary doesn't mean you aren't extraordinary to someone else. Sixty-two-year-old Elsie knows what she likes. Custard creams at four o'clock, jigsaw puzzles with a thousand pieces, her ivy covered, lavender-scented garden. Ten-year-old Billy would rather spend his Saturdays kicking a ball, or watching TV, or anything really, other than being babysat by his grumpy neighbour Elsie and being force fed custard creams. If it was up to them, they'd have nothing to do with each other. Unfortunately, you can't choose who you live next door to. But there is always more to people than meets the eye... Elsie doesn't know that Billy's afraid to go to school now, or why his mother woke him up in the middle of the night with an urgent shake, bags already packed, ready to flee their home. Billy doesn't know that the rusting red tin he finds buried in Elsie's treasured garden is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode her carefully organised life. And that when he digs it up, he is unearthing a secret that has lain dormant for twenty-eight years... This moving tale is for anyone who has ever felt the pang of loneliness, or worried that their broken heart might never be the same again. Fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Keeper of Lost Things and The Library of Lost and Found will fall head over heels for this life-affirming novel that shows us that if you're willing to take a risk, happiness is only ever a heartbeat away. Readers absolutely love Ruby Hummingbird: 'I absolutely loved this... I couldn't put it down, grabbing every opportunity to continue... Heart-wrenchingly sad but also one of the most uplifting and heartwarming books... It had me crying (and I mean big heaving sobs!!)... I finished this book last night, and yet here I am 24 hours later still thinking about it!... Fabulous, amazing, wonderful!!' Stardust Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'What a wonderful story this is... Really touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes... A real feel-good-factor read that made me glow inside... A super book. Couldn't have asked for more from this lovely story.' Books from Dusk Till Dawn, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Wow! Wow! Wow! What a brilliant, beautiful, feel-good, heartwarming book! I absolutely loved it!' Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'What a beautiful book!... Managed to make me cry with emotion without depressing me at all, then lifted me up with hope and happiness... I was glad I was all on my own reading this as it made me cry on more than one occasion.' Sandie's Book Shelves, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the million-copy Sunday Times bestseller comes a breathtaking story of family secrets and forbidden love. Idyllic Cornwall, a lost garden, a love story from long ago . . . A hundred years ago, Lamorna Cove, a tiny, picturesque bay in Cornwall, was the haunt of a colony of artists. Today, Mel Pentreath hopes it will be a place she can escape the pain of losing her mother and a broken love affair, and gradually put her life back together. Renting a cottage in the enchanting grounds of Merryn Hall, Mel embraces her new surroundings and offers to help her landlord Patrick restore the overgrown garden. Soon she is daring to believe her life can be rebuilt. Then Patrick finds some old paintings in the attic, and as he and Mel investigate the identity of the artist, they are drawn into an extraordinary tale of illicit passion and thwarted ambition from a century ago, a tale that resonates in their own lives. But how long can Mel's idyll last before reality breaks in and everything is threatened? Praise for Rachel Hore: 'Compelling, engrossing and moving; a perfect holiday indulgence' SANTA MONTEFIORE 'Fascinating, hugely readable . . . Rachel Hore's research and her mastery of the subject is deeply impressive' JUDY FINNIGAN 'Engrossing and romantic, it's a wonderful story of family secrets and the choices women make' JANE THYNNE 'Another of this year's top offerings' Daily Mail 'Pitched perfectly for a holiday read' Guardian 'A tender and thoughtful tale' Sunday Mirror 'A romantic read' Good Housekeeping 'A perfect escapist treat for your next holiday - if you can wait that long' Eastern Daily Press

The senses can be powerful triggers for memories of our past, eliciting a range of both positive and negative emotions. The smell or taste of a long forgotten sweet can stimulate a rich emotional response connected to our childhood, or a piece of music transport us back to our adolescence. Sense memories can be linked to all the senses - sound, vision, and even touch can also trigger intense and emotional memories of our past. In The Proust Effect, we learn about why sense memories are special, how they work in the brain, how they can enrich our daily life, and even how they can help those suffering from problems involving memory. A sense memory can be evoked by a smell, a taste, a flavour, a touch, a sound, a melody, a colour or a picture, or by some other involuntary sensory stimulus. Any of these can triggers a vivid, emotional reliving of a forgotten event in the past. Exploring the senses in thought-provoking scientific experiments and artistic projects, this fascinating book offers new insights into memory - drawn from neuroscience, the arts, and professions such as education, elderly care, health care therapy and the culinary profession.

"A hauntingly witty, illustrated debut in the vein of Edward Gorey, that explores the power and mystery of human memory, by artist Cecilia Ruiz"--