The Lost Ones

'Once upon a time, there was a … Stories like this one don’t usually begin like that. But why not? After all, there’s something of the fairy tale about it. There’s a princess, a dark wood, and a monster. The only things missing are the hero and the happy ending.'

With the birth of their child, Natalie, it seems that Julian's and Kate's life is complete. They soon discover, however, that their daughter possesses a remarkable gift, the ability not only to experience the thoughts and feelings of others, but to alleviate the suffering of those whom she describes as the lost ones. When that gift appears to be putting Natalie at risk of harm, her parents seek to intervene by consulting a child psychologist. But the reassurances that they receive prove to be short-lived, and when their family is torn apart by an horrific act of violence, the responsibility that they feel for what has happened leads them to act, albeit in very different ways.

The Lost Ones is a novel about the nature of love, the risks to which it exposes us, and where, if anywhere, meaning might be sought after the most traumatic experience of loss.