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The Penguin Podcast meets 5 of the biggest debuts novelists of 2022

The Pieces of Us

The new novel from Claire Alexander, author of Meredith, Alone, is available to pre-order now! 
 
 
 
Three generations of women. Three life altering events. As they discover the truth of their heritage, they'll discover what makes the pieces of us... 
 
At fifty-eight Minnie McAllister isn’t an old woman. But as Alzheimer’s ravages her mind, her brain says otherwise. 
 
Cat McAllister is tackling everything life can throw at her. And just when she thinks it can’t get any worse, she’s faced with the discovery that Minnie might not be the mother she once knew. 
 
Meanwhile, Cat's daughter, Ruby McAllister, who is staring at a two very blue lines, faces a decision that will change the course of her life. 
 
As three generations of women are pulled in three different directions, each are forced to learn lessons about themselves that they never could have imagined. 
 
Praise for Meredith, Alone: 
 
'Gorgeous. I shed tears. Very, very touching, sweet and hopeful' MARIAN KEYES 
 
'Heartbreaking and glorious . . . [An] absolute joy of a novel' HEAT, 'BOOK OF THE WEEK' 
 
'Beautiful, moving and unexpectedly timely' DAISY BUCHANAN 
 
'Touching and funny and sad and hopeful. I loved Meredith, Alone so much!' JANE FALLON 
 
'If you like a book that makes you feel all the feels, this is the one to go for' MIRANDA DICKINSON 
 
'I bowed down to the brilliant author of this brilliant book' GILLIAN McALLISTER 
 
'Sweet, moving, funny and hopeful, with a courageous heroine who sweeps you up' JENNIFER SAINT

Praise for Meredith, Alone

Gorgeous. I shed tears. Very, very touching, sweet and hopeful

Heartbreaking and glorious . . . [An] absolute joy of a novel

Beautiful, moving and unexpectedly timely

Touching and funny and sad and hopeful. I loved Meredith, Alone so much!

Claire Alexander lives with her young family on the west coast of Scotland. A freelance journalist, she has written about parenting, sobriety, mental health and wellbeing for publications including The Washington Post, The Independent, The Huffington Post and Glamour. When she's not writing or parenting, she's on her paddle board, thinking about her next book. Claire is the author of Meredith, Alone and The Pieces of Us is her second novel.

Three generations of women. Three life altering events. As they discover the truth of their heritage, they'll discover what makes the pieces of us... 
 
At fifty-eight Minnie McAllister isn’t an old woman. But as Alzheimer’s ravages her mind, her brain says otherwise. 
 
Cat McAllister is tackling everything life can throw at her. And just when she thinks it can’t get any worse, she’s faced with the discovery that Minnie might not be the mother she once knew. 
 
Meanwhile, Cat's daughter, Ruby McAllister, who is staring at a two very blue lines, faces a decision that will change the course of her life. 
 
As three generations of women are pulled in three different directions, each are forced to learn lessons about themselves that they never could have imagined.

Claire Alexander

The hopeful and uplifting debut you’ll never forget

Meredith Maggs hasn't left her house in 1,214 days. But she insists she isn't alone . . . 
 
She has her cat Fred. Her friend Sadie visits when she can. There's her online support group, StrengthInNumbers. She has her jigsaws, favourite recipes, her beloved Emily Dickinson, the internet, the Tesco delivery man and her treacherous memories for company. 
 
But something's about to change. Whether Meredith likes it or not, the world is coming to her door . . . Does she have the courage to overcome what's been keeping her inside all this time?

Claire Alexander

Meredith, Alone

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