'Lauren Bravo is one of my very favourite writers.' Dolly Alderton
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This is a love story about things...
Gwen's life has stalled. She's in her mid-thirties, perpetually single, her friends are busy procreating in the country and conversations with her parents seem to revolve entirely around herbaceous borders and the council's wheelie-bin timetable. Above all she's lonely. But then, isn't everyone?
When Gwen's made redundant from a job she drifted into a decade ago and never left, she realises it's time to make a change. Over what might be the best - and most solitary - meal she's ever eaten, Gwen vows to find something meaningful to do with her life, reconnect with her family and friends - and finally book herself a dentist appointment.
Her search for meaning soon leads her to volunteer in a local charity shop where she both literally and metaphorically unloads her emotional baggage. With the help of the weird and wonderful people she meets in the shop and the donated items bursting with untold stories that pass through its doors, Gwen must finally address the events and choices that led her to this point and find a way to move forward with bravery, humanity and more regular dental care.
Brimming with life, love and the stories bound up in even the most everyday items, Preloved is a tale about friendship, loss, being true to oneself no matter the expectations - and the enduring power and joy of charity shops.
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Praise for Preloved
'A heartwarming tale of friendship, loss and being true to yourself, regardless of expectations.' Red magazine
'An absolute gem of a novel' Sarra Manning
'I think I've been waiting for a novel like Preloved for my whole reading life.' Daisy Buchanan
'Preloved is full of sharp observations on life, loss, regret and self-preservation.' Julietta Henderson, author of The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman
'Just like that once-in-a-lifetime charity shop find, Preloved is a gleaming prize to be treasured.' Caroline O'Donohue, author of Promising Young Woman
'Preloved has taken up residence in my heart and I will be recommending it to everyone I know... I**'m officially obsessed**.' Lucy Vine
'Laugh-out-loud funny but also poignant and tender' Laura Price, author of Single Bald Female
