Bedtime Story

Bedtime Story asks the timeless question: how can we talk to children about loss in ways that leaves them loving life? When Chloe Hooper’s partner fell seriously ill, she went on a quest through children’s literature for the book that could prepare their young sons for the death of a loved one. The acclaimed, best-selling author of The Tall Man and The Arsonist writes of her discoveries in a truly magical work rich with terrors and enchantments.

Let me tell you a story…

When Chloe Hooper’s partner is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer, they have to find a way to tell their two young sons. Can the news be broken as a bedtime tale? What practical lessons does children’s literature – with its innocent orphans and evil adults, magic, monsters and anthropomorphic animals – teach about grief and resilience in real life?

As Hooper discovers, ‘the right words are an incantation, a spell of hope for the future.’ From the Brothers Grimm to Frances Hodgson Burnett and Tolkien and Dahl – all of whom suffered childhood bereavements – Hooper follows the breadcrumbs of the world’s favourite authors, searching for the deep wisdom in their books and lives.

Part memoir, part manual, Bedtime Story is brilliantly illustrated by the New York Times award-winning Anna Walker. In an age of worldwide uncertainty, here is a profound and moving exploration of the dark and light of storytelling.