When The Lights Go Out Av Carys Bray

<b>_________________________</b><br>'<b>This is a powerful and truthful story about hope and how to find it' <i>THE TIMES</i></b><br><br><b>'Wry, beautifully written </b>. . .<b> it works on many levels' <i>DAILY MAIL</i></b><br><br><b>'Bray's satire shines with observation and subtlety' <i>GUARDIAN</i></b><br><br><b>'She writes with a quiet formidable brilliance. Her observations on relationships are acute, painful and extremely funny. This is a gem of a book.' EMILY MAITLIS<br>_________________________</b><br><b>Global temperatures are rising.</b><br><b>The climate of the Abrams' marriage is cooling.</b><br><br>Emma is beginning to wonder whether relationships, like mortgages, should be conducted in five-year increments. She might laugh if Chris had bought a motorbike or started dyeing his hair. Instead he's buying off-label medicines and stockpiling food.<br><br>Chris finds Emma's relentless optimism exasperating. A tot of dread, a nip of horror, a shot of anger - he isn't asking much. If she would only join him in a measure of <i>something</i>.<br><br>The family's precarious eco-system is further disrupted by torrential rains, power cuts and the unexpected arrival of Chris's mother. Emma longs to lower a rope and winch Chris from the pit of his worries. But he doesn't want to be rescued or reassured - he wants to pull her in after him.<br><br>Darkly funny and beautifully written, <i>When the Lights Go Out </i>is a novel for our times: a story about cultivating hope and weathering change.<br><b>_________________________</b><br>'So timely, and so deeply human, a novel which takes us right into the heart of a marriage and at the same time grapples with the most crucial issue of our age. It's <b>bursting with compassion and wisdom</b>.' <b>SHELLEY HARRIS, author of <i>JUBILEE</i></b><br><br>'Through <b>exquisite use of language and observation</b>, she examines the intricacies of family life in ways which have you laughing one moment and biting your nails with worry the next.' <b>SARAH FRANKLIN, author of S<i>HELTER</i></b><br><br>'With characteristic wit and humanity, Bray shows us the necessity and the impossibility of preparing for disaster, and <b>reminds us of both the fragility and capacity of love</b>.' <b>JENN ASHWORTH, author of <i>A KIND OF INTIMACY</i> and <i>FELL</i></b><br><br>'I think <i>WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT</i> is <b>exactly the novel we need in these times</b>: it's complex, nuanced, and compassionate, frightening and heartening. I think Carys has written something truly extraordinary and I hope it flies. I'll certainly be cheering it on.' <b>STEPHANIE BUTLAND</b><br><br>'Gorgeously written... funny and compassionate... I found it very affecting.' <b><i>GOOD HOUSEKEEPING</i>, 2020 Pick of the Year </b>