Briefly Very Beautiful

A startlingly beautiful story of a family's survival, and an unforgettable dystopian vision of a familiar world in flames

The world is on fire. And what will you do?

In a city rocked by global catastrophe, home-grown terrorism, shortages and wildfires, Cass is quietly raising three small children by herself. Her husband, Nathaniel, has left to serve as a medic in a war overseas.

As life in the city becomes increasingly impossible, Cass knows she can no longer wait for Nathaniel's return. Packing up their lives, she and the children set off in search of a place of greater safety.

But Cass will learn that not all promises and not all sanctuaries are what they seem – and as the fires around them begin to close in, she'll discover just how far she'll go for her children in a world teetering on apocalypse.

Sensual, claustrophobic and vivid, Briefly Very Beautiful announces the arrival of a major new talent, painting an unforgettable portrait of a mother trying to hold her family together.

About the Author

Roz Dineen was at the Times Literary Supplement for 12 years, variously as Fiction Editor, Features Editor and a contributor of essays, reviews and a column. Born in Brighton, she studied English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin, and received a Masters in International Studies and Diplomacy from SOAS. She was Robert L. Bartley Fellow at the Wall Street Journal, where her writing has also appeared. She lives with her two children in South London.

Reviews

"Instantly immersive, beautifully imagined, this is an unflinching but inspiring story about some things we're going to lose, and other things we must never lose" —Lee Child

"An incredible novel... Briefly Very Beautiful left me breathless. It is a stunning, poetic, impelling story of love and survival, which I could not stop reading" —Jodie Whittaker

"In her debut novel, Roz Dineen unforgettably captures the fear and frenzy of a dystopian future that is coming ever closer. Her prose is gorgeous; her characters fierce and haunting. A book that is, quite literally, on fire. Very beautiful and all-too brief" —Catherine Taylor

"A beautiful and timely novel, combining a tough yet tender-eyed depiction of motherhood with clear-sighted commentary on the climate crisis. This is an important book and I devoured it" —Clover Stroud

Dimensions: 15.3 x 2.5 x 23.5 cm