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An Ocean and a Day

A poignant memoir on grief, loss and hope, from the internationally bestselling author of The...

Hannah Richell

$34.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

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English
4TH ESTATE
30 June 2026

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- When Hannah lost her husband Matt in a dreadfully tragic misadventure, she had to withstand not only his loss but do it in the public gaze. Matt Richell was the 41yo CEO of Hachette Australia, well known, respected and admired by the book industry. The aftermath of his surfing accident was also caught by news crews, so right from the beginning it was not a private matter of grief and mourning.

This heartfelt memoir details the two hard years of sustaining such loss, of trying to navigate life without her beloved, of being a single mother and witnessing their two children's incomprehension and grief while barely dealing with her own. Hannah tells the stories of the years before the accident, of meeting Matt, making a life together, moving to Australia and motherhood. It is also about finding shards of light in the darkest chasms of grief and an honest account of slowly going onwards through the fog towards a different life and eventual love that were inconceivable in those earlier years.

A tender book and testimonial to love, strength and what shapes the human heart.  Lindy

An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love.
An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two years of loss, but it is also, more uniquely, an account of what happens beyond those early years, when time and distance offers some perspective and healing. As well as a beautiful, moving and utterly poignant love letter to her late husband, it is also a love letter to Australia, the country that stole her heart; the story of her journey into motherhood; and a testament to the healing power of creativity.

A riveting, moving and uplifting memoir of ove and pain, grief and hope, An Ocean and a Day will resonate with anyone who's ever lost someone they love.

Offering solidarity to other broken hearts, this book is about how we face the hardest days of our lives – and its many gritty little pearls of insight and hard-won wisdom will spark conversations about how we confront, discuss and process the very real, very human experience of loss in our modern, often secular age.

Intimate, powerful and profound, An Ocean and a Day will join the canon of those classic memoirs of loss and abrupt, unwanted life changes such as Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, Amy Bloom's In Love and Geraldine Brooks's Memorial Days.

Praise:

'A searing reflection on the fragility of life which never loses sight of the miraculous beauty of being alive.' Leigh Sales, author of Any Ordinary Day

'So much love in every beautiful word. My heart hurt so much and yet I could not look away. The writing is vital and filled with so much sorrow and so much love. Sublime.' Favel Parrett, author of  There Was Still Love

'Hannah Richell writes about grief and its aftermath with excoriating honesty and with exceptional beauty. A work of great tenderness, a celebration of love and of life. I loved it.' Kathryn Heyman, author of Circle of Wonders

'Raw, unflinching, tender, hopeful -Richell pulled me through her loss as if it were my own. This is grief writing at its very best.' Emma Grey, author of The Last Love Note

'Depth charges of emotion, and strength. Unputdownable' Nikki Gemmell, author of Wing

'Warmth, truth and wisdom live on every page of this beautiful and moving memoir about the loss of a wonderful and inspiring man ... With measured candour, a delicate touch, and a careful eye for the telling detail, Hannah Richell achieves what only the very best memoir can: she holds a space in which the reader can meet themselves. As you read, you realise that this profoundly generous book tells the deeper story of all our lives. It will leave you feeling more human.' Chris Cleave, author of Everyone Brave is Forgiven
By:  
Imprint:   4TH ESTATE
Country of Publication:   Australia
ISBN:   9781460768761
ISBN 10:   1460768760
Pages:   288
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming

Before becoming a published writer, Hannah Richell worked in the book publishing and film industries in London and Sydney. She is the author of six international bestsellers, including Secrets of the Tides, The Search Party and One Dark Night. Her work has been translated into twenty-one languages. Hannah is a dual citizen of Great Britain and Australia and currently lives near Bath the southwest of England. An Ocean and a Day is her first work of non-fiction.

Reviews for An Ocean and a Day: A poignant memoir on grief, loss and hope, from the internationally bestselling author of The Search Party

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- When Hannah lost her husband Matt in a dreadfully tragic misadventure, she had to withstand not only his loss but do it in the public gaze. Matt Richell was the 41yo CEO of Hachette Australia, well known, respected and admired by the book industry. The aftermath of his surfing accident was also caught by news crews, so right from the beginning it was not a private matter of grief and mourning.

This heartfelt memoir details the two hard years of sustaining such loss, of trying to navigate life without her beloved, of being a single mother and witnessing their two children's incomprehension and grief while barely dealing with her own. Hannah tells the stories of the years before the accident, of meeting Matt, making a life together, moving to Australia and motherhood. It is also about finding shards of light in the darkest chasms of grief and an honest account of slowly going onwards through the fog towards a different life and eventual love that were inconceivable in those earlier years.

A tender book and testimonial to love, strength and what shapes the human heart.  Lindy


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