An Ocean and a Day

‘A searing reflection on the fragility of life which never loses sight of the miraculous beauty of being alive’ Leigh Sales, author of Any Ordinary Day

‘So much love in every beautiful word. My heart hurt so much and yet I could not look away. The writing is vital and filled with so much sorrow and so much love. Sublime’ Favel Parrett, author of There Was Still Love

‘Hannah Richell writes about grief and its aftermath with excoriating honesty and with exceptional beauty. A work of great tenderness, a celebration of love and of life. I loved it’ Kathryn Heyman, author of Circle of Wonders

‘Raw, unflinching, tender, hopeful – Richell pulled me through her loss as if it were my own. This is grief writing at its very best’ Emma Grey, author of The Last Love Note

‘I was deeply moved by this book which is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking – a raw and wrenching portrait of lives shattered and rebuilt in the wake of grief. It also reads like a love letter to her husband Matt, whose sudden death in a tragic surfing accident tore a hole in their family too deep to fathom. In emotional freefall, halfway across the world from family and dealing with police, the press, a funeral and two young children, I could almost physically feel the weight of her collapse. She shares with touching honesty the hours, then days and finally years of rebuilding, of what it took her to emerge from within. She has a warm, tender and often witty voice, offering glimpses of their too-brief life together and recounting their love affair with Australia, whose golden shores and pink sky formed the backdrop for their growing love. Perfect for fans of Cathy Rentzenbrink and Joan Didion’