Sarah Challis Books

When schoolgirl Jodie Foot goes missing from a sleepy Dorset village, the shockwaves that reverberate through her community are as far-reaching as they are devastating. When Rachel Turner finds out her husband has lied about his whereabouts that evening, she is shattered. All she's ever wanted is a secure family life, and now it's about to be torn apart. Henry Streeter, Rachel's neighbour, is overwhelmed by old feelings of misery and loneliness as he struggles to stifle painful memories of his own childhood. And Juliet Fairweather, arriving in the village on the evening of the disappearance, is involved in an unexpected personal drama, while her mother, Bobbie, so often a bystander, is drawn inexorably into other people's lives. For everyone involved, one ordinary summer's day will bring extraordinary consequences and the need to examine their own sense of loss and longing.

Point-to-point jockey Jess Haddon has maintained a resolute silence about the identity of the father of her little daughter, Izzy. But that hasn't stopped the rumours swirling around their small Dorset village. Izzy's adoring grandmother Belinda is not the only one who believes Jess must have had a fling with charming Johnnie Bearsden before he moved to America with his family. Belinda is certain Jess's secret cannot be kept for ever. And when she discovers Johnnie is back in the area, she knows everything is about to change. Sooner or later the story must break, and when it does, there will surely be terrible consequences.

Sarah Challis writes with humour, warmth, and a gift for moving you to tears

Set against the backdrop of a stark April landscape, the narrative explores the theme of unexpected challenges that threaten the arrival of summer. The imagery of blackthorn blossoms, likened to a wedding veil, contrasts with the harshness of a severe frost, symbolizing the tension between hope and adversity. This juxtaposition reflects the resilience of country life and the cyclical nature of seasons, capturing the essence of rural experiences and the emotional depth tied to the changing weather.

When Emily Kingsley arrives at the church, late and sad, for her Great Aunt Mary's funeral, she has no idea that her life is about to change completely. Still grieving for her broken relationship with the vain, mean and unfaithful Ted, and trying to come to terms with the cracks which seem to be appearing in her parents' marriage, she sobs her heart out in the church. At the wake afterwards, however, she and her cousin Clemmie are told that Mary has appointed them executors of part of her Will. They are to transport her ashes to Mali, in western Africa and her final resting place is to be Timadjlalen, in the Saharan desert. And so begins Emily and Clemmie's adventure -- a journey that will be the most important of their lives. Clemmie, fanciful and rootless, is thrilled at the chance of adventure. Emily is not. With immense reluctance, she agrees to travel to Mali, and find Timadjlalen, a place in the desert that no one has ever heard of. Why Mary chose it as her final resting place, she cannot imagine; and the though to a hot, pointless trip is almost too much to bear. But once Emily and Clemmic set foot on the Saharan sand, and begin to uncover Mary's sixty-year-old secret, they come to understand why them ust complete her journey.

A warm, funny and poignant portrait of Dorset life from the author of BLACKTHORN WINTER

The warm, wise and moving new novel from the author of FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

Kind einer fernen Nacht Florence hat ihrer Mutter Jane nie verziehen, unter welchen Umständen sie gezeugt wurde. Sie war ein Unfall, das Ergebnis eines One-Night-Stands. Erst als Florence selbst ein Baby erwartet, ist sie bereit, sich mit ihrer eigenen Geschichte und der ihrer Mutter auseinanderzusetzen. Doch Jane hütet ein Geheimnis, das die neu gewonnene Vertrautheit für immer zerstören könnte …

Ein Malkurs in der Provence – war schon immer Kates größter Traum. Doch als er ihr von ihren erwachsenen Kindern erfüllt wird, ist ihre erste Reaktion Unsicherheit. Kann sie wirklich ihren Mann Josh auf ihrem Bauernhof alleine lassen? Doch dann entschließt sich Kate, endlich einmal an sich zu denken. Sie reist in die Provence und begegnet dort Patrice, einem charmanten Franzosen, der ihr zum ersten Mal seit Jahren wieder das Gefühl gibt, begehrt zu werden. Währenddessen überschlagen sich Ereignisse zu Hause in Dorset …