Tenderness

A dark, slow-burn relationship drama, set on an isolated island in the 1970s over the course of a wedding weekend

'A story of love, liars and secrets . . . Shady, sexy, suspicious - perfect summer holiday reading' The Times, 2026 Must-Read round-up

Shay was no longer in the cult, but still, it made her wedding guests nervous that she was bringing them to an island . . .

Just a few months after leaving the mysterious and dangerous cult Synanon, Shay is finally marrying her fiancé Andrew. Although their relationship has been rocky since Shay got involved with Synanon, Andrew, wealthy and loyal, has stuck by her.

As the wedding party arrives on a small island off the coast of Virginia, where Andrew's family has vacationed for generations, rumors are swirling about the couple. Shay's former college flame, Joel, has brought his new girlfriend, but it's clear he's still not over Shay. Shay's brother, William, is deeply uncomfortable with the wealth Shay is marrying into and is hiding a tragic secret from his family.

When a strange woman is spotted around the island, and a series of near-disasters begin to escalate, it becomes clear that Shay has not fully cut her ties to Synanon.

Beguiling and propulsive, Rowan Beaird's TENDERNESS is a story about family, love, belief, about how much we're ever able to outrun the darker parts of our past.

'INTOXICATING. You'll find yourself turning page after page, utterly swept up in the heady spell it casts, and the emotional heft that rises to an astonishing crescendo' Megan Abbott

About the Author

Rowan Beaird is a writer whose work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Kenyon Review, The Southern Review, and The Common, among others. She is the recipient of the Ploughshares Emerging Writer Award, and her work has been nominated for a Pushcart. She has received scholarships from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference and StoryStudio. She currently works at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The Divorcées is her first novel.