When Everything Was Burning - by Alison Barrow (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

1976. During the hottest summer in over three centuries, roads bubble, trains catch fire, and fields burn for days as the Robinson family's emotions simmer toward an inevitable boil.

On the morning of the hottest day of the summer in the English countryside, the Robinson children set out cycling along the dry riverbed near their home. By lunchtime, the children and their mother, Gillian, are sitting at their usual table in the local Italian restaurant, where their father Tony's empty seat is the first signal that something has gone horribly wrong. For Philip, the eldest son, that terrible day comes to represent the end of childhood and the beginning of a lifetime spent trying to understand his family's secrets.

Moving between Gillian and Tony's tender courtship in the 1950s, the searing summer of 1976, and the aftershocks that follow, the novel reveals how violence, desire, and impulsive decisions echo across generations.

As Philip grows up, he struggles to make sense of a childhood shaped by tenderness and fear, while a secret first love offers the possibility of another life beyond the shadow of one fateful day. Sweeping in scope yet intimate in its portrayal of ordinary lives, When Everything Was Burning is an unforgettable novel of grief, desire, the fictions families construct and the truths that lie behind them.

Review Quotes

"A magnificent debut. When Everything Was Burning is a tender, beautifully observed novel about family, survival and the different ways in which we search for love. It is so moving, I read the final pages with my heart in my mouth."--Clare Leslie Hall, New York Times bestselling author of Broken Country

"In the middle of the hottest summer for three hundred years, one family suffers a terrible tragedy, its aftershocks felt for years to come. In this hopeful and moving novel, Barrow charts the triumphs and misfortunes of a family and a community with nuance and deep empathy. Perfect for fans of Rachel Joyce and Joanna Cannon."--Paula Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train

"Rich in imagery and full of secrets. The heat of the summer of 1976 is brought vividly to life in When Everything Was Burning. A thoughtful, atmospheric debut that signals a new talent."
--Kate Atkinson, New York Times bestselling author of Life After Life

"The tender, lyrical writing in this beautiful novel pulls you into its world and doesn't let go. Thoughtful, compassionate and utterly believable, this is a debut not to be missed."--Jennie Godfrey, USA Today bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things

"This deeply heart wrenching story of love, loss and suspense will have you gripped from the first line... One of those books you will want to press into the hands of everyone you know."--Rachel Joyce, New York Times bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

About the Author

Alison Barrow has worked for over 30 years in UK publishing. She has won multiple major industry awards for her publicity campaigns including three British Book Awards. She is long-time trustee of The Women's Prize, serves on the Board of Capital Crime Festival and was twice named The Booksellers Association Publicist of The Year. She lives in Buckinghamshire, although her heart belongs to Yorkshire.