The Cicada House

This is a magical love story. Where, despite what I have just told you, the most extraordinary thing to happen is a woman learns to forgive herself.

A glorious novel: captivating, vibrant and original’

- Jessica Dettmann, Without Further Ado.

When Caitlin inherits a significant sum of money on her fortieth birthday, she decides to break the habits of a lifetime and throw caution to the wind. She’s about to tell her husband Paul that they’re leaving London on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Eat Pray Love their way around the world, only … she doesn’t tell Paul that, because before the candles are lit, he tells her that he’s very much in love with someone else. After a drunken night trying to console herself, Caitlin books tickets to Australia - anything to get as far away as possible.

'The perfect read for anyone who loves getting lost in a story ... warm, smart, funny, and genuinely poignant ... delicious from beginning to end'

- Martha Beck, The Way of Integrity.

'An atmospheric and moving love story told with great warmth and humour’

- Esther Walker, The Bad Cook.

 What does the world feel like when it’s ending for you, and no-one else? What does life feel like when you are running away from it?  This is a story that begins in a way you expect, and ends very far from there. It is a story of creaking English hallways and vast Australian skies. Of hands that feel like warm sandpaper. Cicadas that sing so loudly they drown out the grief. Of white wine and an old piano and children who want their parents back from the dead. It is a magical tale of travel and mystery. And a very human tale of sex and loss and seawater and the primal joy of coming home. 

This is The Cicada House.

‘This funny, heartfelt novel is a rollercoaster ride of self-discovery … Ward's sharp wit shines as she deftly navigates the complexities of modern relationships, leaving readers both entertained and inspired. A must-read!’

- Georgie McCourt, Editor - Marie Claire