W&N bags ‘poignant’ new novel from Barnett  

Weidenfeld & Nicolson has bagged This Beating Heart, the “poignant” new novel from Laura Barnett.  

Federico Andornino, publishing director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Judith Murray at Greene & Heaton. The novel will be published in hardback, e-book and digital audio download on 18th August 2022.  

Barnett is the author of The Versions of Us, Greatest Hits and Gifts, all published by Orion, but This Beating Heart will mark her most personal novel yet, W&N said, encompassing themes of motherhood, second chances and choosing your own family.  

The synopsis reads: "At 43, Christina Lennox thought her future was settled: marriage to Ed, children, a house of their own. But this is not that future: her marriage has ended, fractured by the stress of five rounds of IVF and two miscarriages; overwhelmed by grief and disappointment, Ed has relocated to San Francisco; and Christina’s dream of becoming a mother rests on persuading him to let her go ahead with one final round of IVF, using the last frozen embryo they have stored at the clinic. But when Ed drops a bombshell that threatens to undo everything Christina has strived for, she is forced, once again, to realign her plans: is this the end of her dream, or an opportunity to consider a different—perhaps happier—version of her future?"

Andornino said: "No one writes like Laura about relationships and family. This Beating Heart is a poignant story that readers everywhere will immediately relate to: while it starts as a book about the challenges of conceiving, by the end it has morphed into a beautiful portrait of a new kind of family. Never didactic or preachy, Laura manages to explore the difficult dynamics of love, friendship and family with the lightest of touches. This Beating Heart is going to be an incredibly special publication for W&N and just what so many readers need right now: a thoughtful, entertaining, compassionate and hugely uplifting novel. A true gift." 

Barnett commented: "This Beating Heart is rooted in a very personal place: my own experience of undergoing IVF, something I haven’t often seen examined in contemporary fiction. Christina’s story is not mine, but an exploration of the physical and emotional impact of fertility treatment lies at the heart of the novel—as do broader questions about what any of us can do when the life we are living is not the one we thought would be ours. I am thrilled to see this, my fourth novel, published by Federico and the fantastic team at W&N."