People of the Book

In this exceptional and thought-provoking debut from Thomas Ulrome, the author explores themes of empathy in two compelling novellas.

In a small community in Cambridgeshire, a widow on the verge of finding love again, but anchored to a feckless brother who does not want her to move on, finds new meaning in the sorrow of a grieving mother in Yorkshire. As their powerful connection defies geography and religion, a moving story unfolds.

In London, thirty years later, another story develops. As every newspaper front page shows the image of a drowned refugee child, a woman tries to come to terms with her reaction, one that seems to be at odds with her family and society around her. Where they have empathy, she has anger: is she a racist or a realist? In a story that challenges how we view media stories and our society, Thomas Ulrome takes us on a journey into a modern tragedy, where there is more than one way to drown.