How to Say Goodbye is out today. It is a book that should never have been written, and, despite it being one of the most authentic and personal novels I’ve ever written, I so wish it didn’t exist.
It was motivated by the grief I felt after the sudden and tragic death of my dad Colin 18 months ago, and inspired by the female funeral director who organised his last goodbye.
The protagonist in How To Say Goodbye, Grace Salmon, is a funeral arranger. She lives a tiny existence. Her job is everything, she thinks giving people a perfect funeral is one of the most important things you can do.
Grace becomes obsessed with a young woman killed in a road crash, forcing her to step out of the shadows and start living.
After all, you only get once chance at saying goodbye.
‘I adored this story and instantly fell in love with Grace Salmon. A beautiful book about learning to let go and start living your life’ Nina Pottell, Prima
No one is ever happy to see Grace Salmon.
As a funeral arranger, she’s responsible for steering strangers through the hardest day of their lives. It’s not a task many would want – but, for Grace, giving people the chance to say a proper goodbye to the ones they love is the most important job in the world.
From the flowers in the church to the drinks served at the wake,Grace knows it’s the personal touches that count – and it’s amazing what you can find out about someone from their grieving relatives … or their Facebook page. But when she accidentally finds out too much about someone who’s died, Grace is finally forced to step out of the shadows… and start living.
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The novel is out today, and dad is on every page.
It would mean the world to me if you’d take a look. I’ve been blown away by the support from others, especially those who are sadly in the ‘grief club’ and understand the devastating rollercoaster of emotions you go on after losing someone you love.
I think this will be a publication day unlike any of my previous ones. There will be plenty of tears, moments of ‘look at what I did!’ and disbelief that dad isn’t soaking it all in with me. I’ll certainly be raising a glass to him and to you for being on this crazy journey with me. Thank you xx
