Paris, 1891 Laura is living on the streets, far from the American Prairies where she was born. When rescued by the entrancing aerialists, Ena and Auguste Gaudron, she soon finds herself ensconced in the family hot air balloon business, and offered the chance to learn how to fly. Cardiff, 1896 The Gaudrons accept an invitation to be part of the Cardiff Fine Art, Industrial and Maritime Exhibition, presenting a daring show of balloon ascents and parachute descents. Then late one night, a young girl, Grace, knocks on the Gaudrons' door. She is desperate to fly, whatever the cost.As Grace's dreams begin to take wing, can Laura be the one to keep her grounded? Or will both girls risk it all for one dazzling moment of flight? 'A heady and stylish read that had me swept away from the first page. Munnik has captured a fascinating world of daring with both beauty and heart' MAHSUDA SNAITH 'Vivid and meticulous, Katie Munnik's The Aerialists captures the tangled desires of people living on...

Jane, 1940 In a small rented house on the east coast of Scotland, a cold winter drags on and Jane faces motherhood alone. But with her husband away at war, she fears small town suspicions. She keeps secrets. Who will they protect and who will they hurt? In times of war and separation, so much is left unsaid. Felicity, 1969 Jane's daughter chooses to emigrate to Montreal, leaving behind uncomfortable questions about her background and discovering a new political world of social unrest and undreamt-of freedoms. She settles in a commune in rural Quebec, where her own child is born just as the Apollo Mission lands on the moon. Pidge, 2006 Inheriting her grandmother's house is a surprise. As is the wild goose who stalks into the kitchen and makes herself at home. But somewhere between the flying feathers and her own gathered confusions, Pidge pieces together fragments of her family's history, finding surprising answers amongst the stories – and the silences – of the past. The Heart...