Do Not Feed the Bear

Book excerpt: 'Beguiling and astute' Sarah Winman 'Astoundingly good' Deborah Moggach 'Wonderfully redemptive' Sarah Haywood 'I was delighted and surprised by this textured, fascinating and most moving book' Chris Ware A life-affirming novel about broken but loving families, people making mistakes but doing their best, grief and getting stuck - for readers of ELEANOR OLIPHANT and THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP On her forty-seventh birthday, Sydney Smith stands on a rooftop and prepares to jump... Sydney is a cartoonist and freerunner. Feet constantly twitching, always teetering on the edge of life, she's never come to terms with the event that ripped her family apart when she was ten years old. And so, on a birthday that she doesn't want to celebrate, she returns alone to St Ives to face up to her guilt and grief. It's a trip that turns out to be life-changing - and not only for herself. DO NOT FEED THE BEAR is a book about lives not yet lived, about the kindness of others and about how, when our worlds stop, we find a way to keep on moving. Readers love Do Not Feed the Bear: 'I loved each and every moment of this book and feel bereft it has come to an end' 'Obsessed with how beautiful this book is! Keep flicking back to reread some passages as love them so much! What a treat of a book' 'Wow, what a joyous and hope-inducing read' 'I can't put it down - it's funny and tender and clever and I love it' 'It might break your heart a little bit first, but eventually it will put it back together and wrap it in a comforting snuggly blanket' 'Rich in poignant emotion and a truly mesmerising and addictive read' 'Swept me up into its pages; a book that I wanted to hug and cherish all the time I was reading' 'It's not just a book I read and reviewed. It's a book that read and reviewed me' 'If you're looking for a story that will make you smile by turns, be heart-lifting and heart-wrenching in a variety of ways but remain entirely beautiful for its honest look at life, then this is the book for you' 'Surprising, authentic and powerful, this book defies categorisation' 'Rachel Elliott has achieved something remarkable in this story of loss, regret and disappointment: she has created a tender, hopeful and uplifting novel, which I feel certain many readers will fall in love with'