The Lauras

'A writer of real gravitas and potency. ' Ali Smith. 'An extraordinary journey. Engrossing, original and eloquent. ' Helen Dunmore. 'Elegiac and beautifully observed. ' Observer. 'Vivid and captivating. ' Stylist. I didn't realise my mother was a person until I was thirteen years old and she pulled me out of bed, put me in the back of her car, and we left home and my dad with no explanations. I thought that Ma was all that she was and all that she had ever wanted to be. I was wrong. As Ma and Alex make their way from Virginia to California, each new state prompts stories and secrets of a life before Alex. Together they put to rest unsettled scores, heal old wounds, and search out lost friends. But Alex can't forget the life they've left behind.