Aging
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Departure(s): The new book from the Booker Prize-winning, Sunday Times bestselling author
Departure(s) is a work of fiction – but that doesn’t mean it’s not true.
It is the story of a man called Stephen and a woman called Jean, who fall in love when they are young and again when they are old. It is the story of an elderly Jack Russell called Jimmy, enviably oblivious to his own mortality.
It is also the story of how the body fails us, whether through age, illness, accident or intent. And it is the story of how experiences fade into anecdotes, and then into memory. Does it matter if what we remember really happened? Or does it just matter that it mattered enough to be remembered?
It begins at the end of life – but it doesn’t end there. Ultimately, it’s about the only things that ever really mattered: how we find happiness in this life, and when it is time to say goodbye.
‘Metafictional, moving, unmistakably Barnes’ OBSERVER
‘There’s no one quite like Julian Barnes’ GUARDIAN
‘Everything Julian Barnes writes changes everything’ FRANCES WILSON, author of Electric Spark
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From £5.74 -
The Arctic Cruise: Make 2026 a year to remember, as you escape this winter for the holiday – and romance – of a lifetime under the Northern Lights
Pack your bags for the adventure of a lifetime…
From the #1 bestselling author of The Cruise, embark on an unforgettable journey and sail through Norway’s winter wonderland to see the spectacular Northern Lights.
‘A wonderful, emotional and heartwarming story of lost love and second chances in an out of this world setting.’ LISA HOBMAN
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Will the Arctic wonderland work its magic this winter?
Joy never imagined stepping aboard a cruise ship without her husband, Tom. Now widowed, Joy wonders what her voyage on the Emerald Dream will hold – and as it glides through breathtaking Norwegian fjords, she longs to believe in happiness again. However, she carries a secret that could unravel her fragile hopes if it ever came to light…
Elsewhere on deck, as the sun dips below the horizon and the polar night sets in, Henry, a lifelong bachelor, is living his dream of seeing the Northern Lights. Having long since given up on love, he now dedicates himself to his passion for photography. But when he meets Joy, is it more than the aurora borealis that catches his eye?
As they embark on a snow-dusted adventure which takes them from bustling ports to reindeer-drawn sleigh rides, will Joy and Henry find the courage to embrace love again? Or will hidden truths sink the possibility of a new beginning?
A heartwarming, feel-good voyage of self-discovery, romance and second chances, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Judy Leigh.
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From £2.80