A mile of river - Judith Allnatt

"A novel of rare insight, exquisitely written.
A standing ovation for this debut." MICHAEL MORPURGOIt is 1976 and England is suffocating.
The long, dry spring has given way to a summer of severe drought.
Jess and Tom live on a remote farm with their increasingly difficult and brutal father.
Their mother, Sylvie, walked out years before and Jess is struggling with the role of mother figure to Tom, as well as skivvy and hired hand for her father.
Daydreaming about her mother's return, Jess discovers Sylvie's old diary and begins to uncover the shocking truth about her disappearance.
As the drought grips ever tighter, the menace in the air builds until it reaches boiling point, with a confrontation between Jess and her father that has devastating consequences.