PRE-ORDER NOW! The estimated release date is 1 November 2026. Please note your complete order will only ship once the Pre-Order item becomes available.

The breathtaking new novel from Ian McEwan
'A thumping literary mystery' Independent
'A gripping page-turner' Observer
'A beautiful novel, full of wisdom and heart. I loved it' Elif Shafak

2014: A poem is read aloud once then vanishes without a trace.

2119: A century later, the seas have risen and the world is under water. Those who remain are haunted by what's been lost - and what might still be found.

When university scholar Tom Metcalfe stumbles across a clue that may lead to the great lost poem, he reveals a story of entangled love and a brutal crime that challenges everything he thought he knew about the past...