"A meditation on caring and ageing that lifts the spirits without pulling punches" Ian Rankin "I read it in one sitting, and will be pressing into the hands of everyone I know" Christie Watson "A beautiful, emotional and timely read" Matt Haig "This is a truly beautiful book, shot through with honesty, heartbreak and joy. I loved it" Adam Kay "Luminous with love" Nicci Gerrard As our population ages, more and more of us find ourselves caring for parents and loved ones _ some 8.8 million people in the UK. An invisible army of carers holding families together. Here, Kate Mosse tells her personal story of finding herself as a carer in middle age: first, helping her mother look after her beloved father through Parkinson's, then supporting her mother in widowhood, and finally as 'an extra pair of hands' for her 90-year-old mother-in-law. This is a story about the gentle heroism of our carers, about small everyday acts of tenderness, and finding joy in times of crisis. It's about juggling priorities, mind-numbing repetition, about guilt and powerlessness, about grief, and the solace of nature when we're exhausted or at a loss. It is also about celebrating older people, about learning to live differently _ and think differently about ageing. But most of all, it's a story about love.