A touching and powerful short story from the acclaimed author of Lost for Words. 

'Knee-deep in the hungry sea, on the beach that I did not yet know I was to take custody of, I understood something for the first time: it is possible to have everything you want, and to be miserable.'

The beach is quiet at night. The moon shines, the tide falls back, and a woman stands, waiting, watching for those who come to the shore only to walk into the sea.

Nancy has lived on the coast for more years than she can remember. A famous actress in her younger days, she has since retreated from the world. Now her only aim is to persuade those who come to her beach to end their lives to go back to dry land, and try, once more, to live.

But each time gets harder, and Nancy begins to fear she is no longer strong enough to save the lives of the desperate and hopeless.