Goodbye, Paris

Grace Atherton once had the beginnings of a promising musical career, but she has not been able to play her cello publicly since a traumatic event at music college. Since then she has built a quiet life in a small English village, repairing instruments and nurturing a long-distance affair with David, the man who helped her rebuild, while she puts her hopes of a family on hold until his children are old enough for him to leave his marriage.

When David saves the life of a woman in the Paris Metro, the resulting fame shines a light on the real state of the relationships in his life. Shattered, Grace hits rock bottom and abandons the things that mattered to her, including her dream of entering the world's most important violin-making competition.

Her closest friends step in: an elderly violinist with a secret love affair of his own, and her shop assistant, a gifted and angst-ridden teenager. Anstey Harris's debut novel is a story about heartbreak, music, and the several ways there are to find happiness.