Countless

Description

Heartbreaking, life-affirming, brave and bold - Karen Gregory's debut is a completely different kind of love story. 'Is there anything that's concerning you?' Felicity says. 'College, home, boyfriends?' Though she's more or less smiling at this last one. I don't smile. Instead, I feel my face go hot. Silence stretches as wide as an ocean. When I look up, Felicity has this expression on her face like she's just seen Elvis. Slowly, she leans forward and in a gentle voice I've never heard her use before she says, 'Have you done a pregnancy test?' When Hedda discovers she is pregnant, she doesn't believe she could ever look after a baby. The numbers just don't add up. She is young, and still in the grip of an eating disorder that controls every aspect of how she goes about her daily life. She's even given her eating disorder a name - Nia. But as the days tick by, Hedda comes to a decision: she and Nia will call a truce, just until the baby is born. 17 weeks, 119 days, 357 meals. She can do it, if she takes it one day at a time ... Heartbreaking and hopeful by turns, Karen Gregory's debut novel is a story of love, heartache and human resilience. And how the things that matter most can't be counted. Fans of Lisa Williamson, Sara Barnard and Sarah Crossan will fall in love with Karen's writing.

Karen Gregory has been a confirmed bookhead since early childhood. She wrote her first story about Bantra the mouse aged twelve, then put away the word processor until her first child was born, when she was overtaken by the urge to write. A graduate of Somerville College, Oxford, and a project coordinator by day, she's become adept at writing around the edges. Strong coffee and a healthy disregard for housework help. Karen lives in Wiltshire with her family. Countless is her first novel.

Moving and thought-provoking * Irish Times * A heart-breaking, hopeful and highly-unusual debut * Metro, Imogen Russell Williams * Countless is written with empathy and deep compassion and we could all do with more of that. * The Bookbag, Jill Murphy * Insightful, authentic and profoundly moving ...This is an important, impactful, mightily impressive debut about love, reaching out and taking one step at a time * LoveReading4Kids * Bold and brilliant * Books A Go Go * Everyone should read this * The Bibliophile Girl * An emotive story of love and choices ... easily one of the standout debuts of the year. * 100 Words or Less * I inhaled this book. I was emotionally involved from the very start and couldn't bear to put it down ... Though Countless is heartbreaking it is also full of heart, and it celebrates the power of finding your people and your self and the resilience to keep going. * Rhino Reads * The tonic for fluffy contemporaries * Heartful of Books *