A beautiful new middle-grade novel from Waterstones Prize shortlisted Emma Smith-Barton about the eternal power of friendship, memory and love.
Atlas's Grandpa is beginning to forget things. The end of stories, where he put things - and Atlas is worried that soon Grandpa will forget him, too. Mum says that will never happen, not really - but Atlas is determined to fix him.
Skye is forgetting things, too. Like how it feels to have her big sister around now she's left for uni, and the smell of her Grandma's perfume. She's never felt more lonely - until she meets Atlas, a new boy at school who needs her help.
Together Atlas and Skye set out to piece together the missing memories of Grandpa's past - and learn how to live with a future that feels...
Emma Smith-Barton was born in South Wales to Pakistani parents. Growing up between cultures has heavily influenced her writing and she is especially interested in exploring themes of identity and belonging. Before writing, she taught in secondary schools for six years and is passionate about increasing awareness of mental health in young people. Her short stories have appeared in various publications such as Mslexia and The Bristol Short Story Prize 2016 anthology (under her pseudonym for adult fiction, Amna Khokher). The Million Pieces of Neena Gill was Emma's first novel for young adults. It was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2020; the Branford Boase Award 2020; and the Romantic Novelists' Association Debut Romantic Novel 2020.
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