First published 2009
Nenna lives on a houseboat at Battersea Reach with her two young daughters, abandoned by her husband and struggling to keep her family together. The Thames rises and falls around a small community of misfits who have made the water their home. Maurice works as a male prostitute and deals in stolen goods with cheerful resignation. Richard, a former navy officer, commands respect from his imposing vessel. Nenna's girls run free along the muddy banks while their mother wrestles with mounting domestic troubles. As her situation grows more desperate, the bonds between these unlikely neighbors begin to strengthen. The community that seemed so scattered and disconnected starts to converge around Nenna's crisis. Each resident must decide how much they are willing to risk for someone else's survival.
Genres: domestic-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unlikely-neighbors
Setting: Battersea Reach, Thames River
Period: 20th-century
181 pages · Paperback · HarperCollins UK