Births, Deaths and Marriages

From Sunday Times Number 1 bestselling author of Richard & Judy Book Club Pick, The Versions of Us, a beautiful novel about six lifelong friends and one unforgettable year, perfect for fans of David Nicholls and Jojo Moyes.

‘A perfect, can’t-put-down summer read!’ Red

‘A beautifully written story about second chances…couldn’t turn the pages fast enough’ Heat

'Relatable, funny, moving and hopeful… a fantastic read’ 5-star reader review
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Zoe, Al, Rachel, Rob, Yas and Indie. Six friends who were inseparable at university, who have all had their secret or not-so-secret passions for each other, their hopes and fears.

Over the years, they have gone their separate ways. Rob is a history teacher, with a string of broken relationships behind him. Yas is a surgeon and very much her own woman. Indie is married and a successful coffee entrepreneur. Rachel is a stay-at-home mum with two children. Al, widowed young, is about to take over his father's funeral business.

When Rob's engagement party throws the gang together once more, some passions are reignited, old connections and resentments resurface.

Over the next twelve months, there will, among the friends, be a birth, a marriage, and a death – but whose?

Births, Deaths And Marriages is an era-spanning, globe-trotting novel about love, friendship, and how to stay at least relatively sane in an ever crazier world. It’s about a group of friends growing older, the possibility of second chances, about kindness and joy.

It’s about births, deaths, marriages... and everything in between.

Praise for Laura Barnett and Births Deaths and Marriages:

‘My first read by Laura Barnett and won’t be my last…richly written and so moving’ Jennie Godfrey, Sunday Times bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things

‘A must-read’ Closer

‘I loved Births, Deaths and Marriages. Laura’s ability to jump between so many different lives and to keep those strands alive in the reader’s mind reminded me of Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors’ Georgina Moore, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Garnett Girls

'A compelling and comforting read that reminds us about the power, support and importance of found family' Kate Sawyer, Costa Prize shortlisted author of The Stranding

‘Barnett has that rare talent, like Curtis Sittenfeld or Kate Atkinson, of building up the mundane aspects of everyday life until they acquire meaning’ The Times

Readers love Births, Deaths & Marriages:

‘Four Weddings and a Funeral meets One Day...I couldn't put it down.’

'A rich, emotional read. I laughed, I cried, and I found myself rooting for each of them.'

'An emotional, heartfelt book about the joys and sorrows of life. It is about love in all its forms, the friendships that shape us, and the quiet moments that define who we become.'

'Perfect blend of humour, poignancy, and authenticity'

‘Wow! Just wow! A book for anyone who has loved, for anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one, for anyone who has contemplated or been married, for every parent, indeed, for anyone who has lived.’

'Reminiscent of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Notting Hill'

'Immersive and thought-provoking.'

‘A hugely enjoyable novel which celebrates the durability of friendships that have weathered the storm of growing up.’

'Highly addictive and incredibly comforting.'