Virginia Baily Books

The Fourth Shore: the sliver of fertile land along the Tripoli coast, the 'lost' territory Mussolini promised to reclaim for Italy. Which is how, in 1929, seventeen-year-old Liliana Cattaneo arrives there from Rome on a ship filled with eager colonists to join her brother and his new wife. Liliana is sure she was on the brink of a great adventure, but what awaits her is not the Mediterranean idyll of cocktail parties, smart dances, dashing officers and romantic intrigues she had imagined. Instead she finds a world of persecution, violence, repression, corruption and deceptions both great and small. A child of fascist Italy, blown about by the winds of fascism and Catholicism, Liliana becomes enmeshed in a dark liaison which has terrible consequences both for her and those she loves most. The Fourth Shore is the engrossing and intensely poignant story of Liliana's journey from Rome to Tripoli to a north London suburb where, as plain Lily Jones, she begins to uncover a secret she has buried so deeply that even she is far from certain what it is. Praise for Early One Morning by Virginia Baily: 'As gripping as any thriller ... really, really good' Daily Mail 'A big, generous and absorbing piece of storytelling' Samantha Harvey, Guardian 'A real treat' Philip Hensher, Observer 'Wonderful' Tessa Hadley

In 1943 Rome, two young women, strangers to each other, share a fleeting moment that alters their lives forever. Chiara Ravello, preparing to escape the occupied city for her grandparents' home, unexpectedly intervenes when she sees another woman being taken away with her husband and children. Claiming the woman's son as her own nephew, Chiara demands his return, not fully grasping the implications of her actions until it’s too late. Now responsible for a child with no papers who refuses to speak, Chiara faces a perilous journey ahead. Fast forward thirty years, Chiara is a solitary, self-sufficient translator in Rome, seemingly content with her life filled with work, friends, and the arts. Yet, the shadow of Daniele, the boy she rescued, looms over her, deeply affecting her relationships and happiness. As the story unfolds, we discover the turmoil Daniele brought into Chiara's life and how he ultimately broke her heart. When a teenage girl named Maria calls, claiming to be Daniele’s daughter, Chiara realizes it’s time to confront her past. This epic narrative weaves a powerful tale of love, loss, and the lasting impact of war, leaving a profound impression on the reader.