An Unremarkable Body ― A Stunning Literary Debut With a Twist

***Shortlisted for the Costa Best First Novel Award 2018***

EVERY MOTHER IS A WOMAN WITH A PAST

'An intriguing tale of love and loss . . . written with verve and delivers an amazing twist' Sunday Mirror
'A haunting debut about grief, loss and motherhood' The Pool
'This novel pulls you in and will have you racing to reach the end' Good Housekeeping

When Katharine is found dead at the foot of her stairs, it is the mystery of her life that consumes her daughter, Laura. The medical examiner's report, in which precious parts of Katharine's body are weighed and categorised, motivates Laura to write her own version of events. But as she delves deeper into Katharine's past, she is forced to confront a new version of the woman she knew only as her mother. A woman silenced by her own mother and wronged by her husband. A woman who lived in the shadows but whose secrets are now coming to light.

'An incredibly moving story of maternal love, sacrifice, and how little we know those closest to us' Chloë Mayer, author of The Boy Made of Snow
'Beautiful, sensitive, and poignant' Clarissa Goenawan, author of Rainbirds
'Spare, confident and affecting. A compelling read' Joanna Barnard, author of Precocious and Hush Little Baby

Elisa Lodato grew up in London and read English at Pembroke College, Cambridge. After graduating she went to live in Japan where she spent a year teaching, travelling and learning to speak the language. On returning to the UK she spent many happy years working for Google before training to become an English teacher. Helping pupils to search for meaning in a text inspired Elisa to take up the pen and write her own. Her first novel, AN UNREMARKABLE BODY, was longlisted for the Bath Novel Award 2016. Elisa lives in Surrey with her husband and two children.