*WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2021*
'Truly one hell of a book.' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS, author of QUEENIE

'Powerful, timely, and provocative' ABI DARÉ
'An important book and everyone should read it' IMRAN MAHMOOD
'More than lives up to its title' CHARLES YU

THIS IS A STORY UNLIKE ANYTHING YOU'VE EVER READ. THIS IS A HELL OF A BOOK.

In Jason Mott's haunting and unforgettable debut novel, The Returned, an impossible miracle is occurring all across the globe. Read how it all begins in Before The Returned, featuring the prequel novellas, The First, The Sparrow and The Choice.

The First

It's been just over a year since Edmund Blithe died, and just over a month since Emily stopped wearing her engagement ring. Emily has finally begun to move on... Until Edmund mysteriously and inexplicably returns, sending the world - and Emily - into a tailspin.

The Sparrow

When Heather and Matt Campbell find ten-year-old Tatiana Rusesa on the side of the highway, she is thousands of miles away from her village in Sierra Leone. She hasn't seen her family in almost two decades, not since she and her mother were killed by rebel soldiers. Now Tatiana has inexplicably returned, a lost orphan with no place to call home.

The Choice

Peter Galvin was just seventeen when Tracy Whitland - the love of his life - vanished without a trace. In the years after her death, he had finally moved on, gotten married, started a family. He is content with his life now - happy, even... Until Tracy suddenly and inexplicably returns.

On the heels of his exceptional and white-hot debut novel, The Returned, New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott delivers a spellbinding tale of love, sacrifice and the power of miracles.

On an ordinary day, at an air show like that in any small town across the country, a plane crashes into a crowd of spectators. But when the dust clears, a thirteen-year-old girl named Ava is found huddled beneath a pocket of rubble with her best friend, Wash. He is injured and bleeding, and when Ava places her hands over him, his wounds miraculously disappear.

Ava has a unique gift: she can heal others of their physical ailments. Until the air show tragedy, her gift was a secret. Now, the whole world knows, and suddenly people from all over the globe begin flocking to her small town, looking for healing and eager to glimpse the wonder of a miracle. But Ava's unusual ability comes at a great cost, and as she grows weaker with each healing, she soon finds herself having to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice in order to save the ones she loves most.

In this thrilling dystopian novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Returned, the world is at war and two siblings are forced on the run, challenged to do whatever it takes to save themselves – and each other

Twins Virginia and Tommy Matthews have been on their own since they were orphaned at the age of five, surviving a merciless foster care system by relying on each other. Twelve years later, the world begins to collapse around them as a deadly contagion steadily wipes out entire populations and a devastating world war rages on. When Tommy is drafted for the war, the twins are faced with a choice: stay and accept their fate of almost certain death, or run. Virginia and Tommy flee into the dark night.

Armed with only a pistol and their fierce will to survive, the twins set forth in search of a new beginning. Encountering a colorful cast of characters along the way, Tommy and Virginia must navigate the dangers and wonders of this changed world as they try to outrun the demons of their past.

With deft imagination and breathless prose, THE CROSSING is a riveting tale of loyalty, sacrifice and the burdens we carry with us into the darkness of the unknown.

Peter Galvin was just seventeen when Tracy Whitmore–the love of his life–vanished without a trace. In the years after her death, he had finally moved on, gotten married, started a family. He is content with his life now–happy, even…. Until Tracy suddenly and inexplicably returns.

For weeks, Peter and his wife, Samantha, have been watching mysterious reports of people's loved ones returning from beyond, the world spinning into uncertainty and chaos. But they never imagined it would happen to them. With Tracy's unusual homecoming, Peter and Samantha must decide where they can possibly go from here, and whether their family can survive….

Read more stories of the Returned in The First and The Sparrow. And don't miss Jason Mott's haunting debut novel, The Returned, a story of one family given an extraordinary second chance.