At the Bottom of the Stairs

Rachel is ten years old when a dog is rocketed into space. When she is sixteen, the first female astronaut orbits the Earth. At seventeen, she falls in love with Tommy. But Rachel and Tommy's love is not written in those distant stars. Facing disapproval and uncertainty, they are forced apart.

Half a century later, they cross paths in a hotel bar and are confronted with a lifetime of what-ifs. Rachel's life of social conformity has brought her the joys and heartbreaks of motherhood. Tommy's marriage into high society has made him the most famous artist of a generation. But what if they had never given up on their dreams of adventure? Is what they gained apart worth as much as what they might have had together?

At the Bottom of the Stairs is a story of female space explorers and climbing trees, of loving the life you didn't lead and learning to love the one you did.

Praise for At the Bottom of the Stairs

Full of wisdom, beauty and skill, Banks creates a powerful story that pierces the soul.
FJ Morris, author of This Is (Not About) David Bowie

At the Bottom of the Stairs is a genuinely touching book and a pleasure to read.
Gaynor Jones, author of Among These Animals

A love letter to language, such is the quality of Banks' prose.
Michael Loveday, author of Unlocking the Novella-in-Flash and Three Men on the Edge

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