Letters To My Husband

Dear Mike, I can’t believe that it’s true. You wouldn’t do this to me. You promised. 
 
A heart-wrenching and powerful novel about how much you can ever know about the people you love - perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, JoJo Moyes and Lisa Jewell. 
 
'I read this last night in one big gulp . . . It's beautiful and sad, the characters so well-drawn, and the writing is gorgeous. I had to take a deep breath and let out a big sigh when I'd finished' Julie Cohen, Richard and Judy Book Club author 
 
Originally published in hardback as Surrounded by Water

An immensely powerful, and ultimately uplifting, debut novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this…I was completely immersed to the point it no longer seemed like I was reading but discovering the truth and lies of these brilliant characters.

LOUISE DOUGLAS, Richard & Judy-selected author of The Secrets Between Us

A moving exploration of grief and love and the darker depths that lie beneath the surface of a seemingly idyllic marriage.

Tamar Cohen, author of THE MISTRESS'S REVENGE

I read this last night in one big gulp...It's beautiful and sad, the characters so well-drawn, and the writing is gorgeous. I had to take a deep breath and let out a big sigh when I'd finished.

Heartbreaking, insightful, gripping and beautifully crafted. Stephanie Butland's astonishing debut stays with me still. I long to see what she writes next.

Jane Wenham Jones, author of Perfect Alibis and One Glass is Never Enough

An immensely powerful, and ultimately uplifting, debut novel

Surrounded by Water is a moving exploration of grief and love and the darker depths that lie beneath the surface of a seemingly idyllic marriage

TAMAR COHEN, author of The Mistress's Revenge

I read Surrounded by Water last night in one big gulp...It's beautiful and sad, the characters so well-drawn, and the writing is gorgeous. I had to take a deep breath and let out a big sigh when I'd finished.

Stephanie Butland lives near the sea in the North East of England. She writes in a studio at the bottom of her garden. For fun, she reads, knits, walks, and bakes, and is an occasional performance poet. 
 
Twitter: @under_blue_sky 
Facebook: /StephanieButlandAuthor 
Instagram: @StephanieButlandAuthor

'An immensely powerful, and ultimately uplifting, debut novel' Katie Fforde 
 
'Heartbreaking, insightful, gripping and beautifully crafted' Jane Wenham Jones 
________ 
 
Dear Mike, I can’t believe that it’s true. You wouldn’t do this to me. You promised. 
 
Elizabeth knows that her husband is kind and good and that he loves her unconditionally. She knows she hasn’t been herself lately but that, even so, they are happy. 
 
But Elizabeth’s world is turned upside down when Mike dies in a tragic drowning accident. Suddenly everything Elizabeth knows about her husband is thrown into doubt. Why would he sacrifice his own life, knowing he’d never see his wife again? And what exactly was he doing at the lake that night? 
 
Elizabeth knows that writing to Mike won’t bring him back, but she needs to talk to him now more than ever . . . 
How much can you ever know about the people you love? 
________ 
 
Originally published in hardback as Surrounded by Water

Stephanie Butland

Carys Bray, author of Richard and Judy pick A SONG FOR ISSY BRADLEY

Profound, insightful, rich and sensual, exquisitely written . . . One of those novels that haunts and tugs at one’s own corners, long after you’ve sadly laid it to rest.

The Other Half of My Heart is Stephanie Butland at her best: tender, wise and intimate. A heart-warming (and sometimes heart-stopping) novel suffused with the irresistible fragrance of baking bread. Wonderful

Peopled with characters who matter and layered with love in all its forms . . . Bettina's story reminds us that even if we try to run away, love often finds a way to steer us home

Claire Dyer, author of The Perfect Affair

“It smelled bittersweetly of sourdough, and there was the trace of hot, fresh bread in the air. She took a deep breath and unlocked the door” 
 
Fifteen years ago Bettina May’s life’s veered off course in one disastrous night. Still reeling from the shock of losing everything she thought was hers, Bettina opens a bakery in a village and throws herself into the comfort of bread-making. 
 
She spends her days kneading dough and measuring ingredients. She meets someone. She begins to heal. 
 
Until someone who knows what happens that night walks into Bettina's bakery. In the pause of a heartbeat, fifteen years disappear and Bettina remembers a time she thought was lost for ever . . . 
 
Can she ever go back?

Stephanie Butland

Praise for The Other Half Of My Heart

Heartwarming and beautifully written

Profound, insightful, rich and sensual, exquisitely written . . . One of those novels that haunts and tugs at one’s own corners, long after you’ve sadly laid it to rest.

The Other Half of My Heart is Stephanie Butland at her best: tender, wise and intimate. A heart-warming (and sometimes heart-stopping) novel suffused with the irresistible fragrance of baking bread. Wonderful

Heartwarming and beautifully written

Profound, insightful, rich and sensual, exquisitely written . . . One of those novels that haunts and tugs at one’s own corners, long after you’ve sadly laid it to rest.

The Other Half of My Heart is Stephanie Butland at her best: tender, wise and intimate. A heart-warming (and sometimes heart-stopping) novel suffused with the irresistible fragrance of baking bread. Wonderful

Heartwarming and beautifully written

Profound, insightful, rich and sensual, exquisitely written . . . One of those novels that haunts and tugs at one’s own corners, long after you’ve sadly laid it to rest.

The Other Half of My Heart is Stephanie Butland at her best: tender, wise and intimate. A heart-warming (and sometimes heart-stopping) novel suffused with the irresistible fragrance of baking bread. Wonderful

Books by Stephanie Butland

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