Ethan is a bright young boy obsessed with physics and astronomy who lives with his mother, Claire. Claire has been a wonderful parent to Ethan, but he's becoming increasingly curious about his father's absence in his life, wanting to fill in the gaps.
Claire's life is centred on Ethan; she is fiercely protective of her talented, vulnerable son, and of her own feelings. When Ethan falls ill, tied to a tragic event from when he was a baby, Claire's tightly held world is split open.
On the other side of the country, Mark is trying to forget about the events that tore his family apart. Then a sudden and unexpected call home forces him to confront his past, and the hole in his life that was once filled with his wife Claire and his son Ethan.
When Ethan secretly intercepts a letter from Mark to Claire, he unleashes long-suppressed forces that - like gravity - pull the three together again, testing the limits of love and forgiveness.
Heart-wrenching, absorbing and magical, Relativity is an irresistible novel about science, love, unbreakable bonds and irreversible acts.
'The race towards the conclusion keeps us guessing, but ultimately, it's the beautifully drawn characters who stay with you long after the final page.' Australian Women's Weekly
'Hayes has packed a complex story into compelling fiction and Relativity is proof that her star is only beginning to burn.' Sydney Morning Herald
'Relativity is wonderful, a beautifully written, heartbreaking novel.' SJ Watson, author of Before I Go to Sleep and Second Life
'A transcendental book that mangers to stay grounded and true in its warmth and pathos.' Alice Pung, author of Unpolished Gem and Laurinda
'Pulls you into the moment like you've unexpectedly pin-dropped through Antarctic ice . . . Relativity upends expectations and holds you in its thrall as Hayes asks unsettling questions about the frailties of memory and love . . . An Australian debut not to be missed.' Readings Monthly
'Books like this don't come along that often. Grabit with both hands.' Marie Claire
