It's hard to pretend that everything is normal when your whole life has been turned upside down ...

'She's gone!'

The letter said she needed time to be herself again. But what does that mean?

Greg and Lucy, at fourteen and twelve, act cool and responsible when their mother leaves. Six-year-old Grace is just bewildered. Conor, a troubled ten-year-old, takes drastic action to show how he feels.

And behind it all there is hope, and the beginnings of a plan to bring their mother back.

This book has been graded for interest at 10+ years.

There are 176 pages in this book. This book was published 2013 by O'Brien Press Ltd .

Marita Conlon-McKenna is one of Ireland's bestselling novelists, writing both for children and adults. Her children's book UNDER THE HAWTHORN TREE has sold more than 500, 000 copies. Marita lives in the Stilorgan area of Dublin with her husband and four children.