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Ripeness

long-buried family secrets in 1960s Italy from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Summerwater

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Ripeness

By: Sarah Moss
Narrated by: Flora Montgomery
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From 1960s Italy to present-day Ireland, Ripeness is the story of a family secret that rips a teenage girl's world apart, only for her to discover its true meaning decades later.

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Summerwater, Sarah Moss.

'Moss makes every moment count' - The Sunday Times
'A book of lasting pleasures' - Eleanor Catton
'Powerful and beautifully written' - The Guardian

Just out of school and teetering on the brink of adulthood, Edith is sent alone to rural Italy. Her task is simple: support her sister Lydia, a brilliant but brittle ballet dancer, through the final weeks of her pregnancy. Once the baby is born, she is to make a phone call that will change all of their lives forever.

Decades later, Edith is living a contented life in Ireland, happily divorced and finally free. But with the arrival of an unexpected message, Edith must face the truth of that long-ago summer, and the secret she has carried for a lifetime.

‘Tender and rueful’ - Emma Donoghue
'A delicious novel' - Literary Review
'Sublime . . . glorious' - Vogue
'Luminous' - Financial Times
'Beautifully crafted . . . absorbing and moving' - Daily Mail

©2025 Sarah Moss Coming of Age Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt
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Critic reviews

Sex and childbirth, emigrant and exile, the present and the past: Sarah Moss’s ambidextrous talent is evident on every page of this elegant novel. It is intelligent, but never disembodied; evocative, but never sentimental; honest, but never cruel. Ripeness is a book of tart and lasting pleasures (Eleanor Catton, Booker prize-winning author of The Luminaries and Birnam Wood)
This book felt to me like I was reading the achievement of a lifetime, written by one of the best writers alive. Moving, unexpected, masterful, it is a story of stories, of belonging, of exits and entrances, and everything in between. Moss’s understanding of who her characters are is also her understanding of all of us. A beautiful, powerful read that echoed for me long after (Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist)
Tender and rueful, Ripeness is a tale of being a foreigner that moves between 1960s Italy and 2020s Ireland, finding pain and bliss in both. Working at the height of her mature powers, Sarah Moss is a marvel of insight and eloquence (Emma Donoghue, author of Room)
I devoured Ripeness, thrilling at the world Moss brings to life and the characters who inhabit it. What a delicious novel
The sublime author Sarah Moss returns with Ripeness . . . Glorious
Impressive
A luminous tale about borders, bodies and a sense of belonging (Thomas McMullan, Financial Times)
Sarah Moss is a master of the ticking clock. Her novels thrum with tension . . . as the climax rushes towards us, Moss makes every moment count
Sarah Moss is one of the best writers working today, and this might be her best book yet. A wise and tender novel about birth, ballet and belonging, it captivated me completely (Bobby Palmer, author of Isaac and the Egg)
Beautifully crafted . . . absorbing and moving
An extended meditation on what home or belonging might mean in a period of disruption and displacement . . . Moss perfectly judges the prickly absolutism of the younger Edith . . . unfailingly spare and alert . . . captivating
Evocative . . . Immensely moving - and this story feels very much like life . . . This novel lingers so strongly in the mind
A powerful and beautifully written story of family, friendship and identity
An expansive, expressive tale of family, history and ballet, this is illuminated by pin-sharp imagery and rueful self-awareness
An insightful examination of family ties and belonging
There’s no shortage of gifted writers who have never had a sniff of a major prize. The English novelist Sarah Moss, now based in Dublin, is such an obvious example of this . . . Moss’ new novel, Ripeness, might fix that
All stars
Most relevant
A really pleasant read, beautifully written. The story unfolds in two parallel lines and is a wonderful reflection on life and mothering.

Poetic and beautiful story

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I enjoyed the dual timelines, spending time with Edith in her 70s, as a divorced mam, living in Ireland and as a teen spending the summer with her pregnant sister Lydia in Italy.

My favourite part was the timeline in Italy, I enjoyed the lazy summer with the dancers and wanted to go eat, swim and dance with them. The events that occurred with Lydia were heartbreaking and infuriating. I wanted
to just shake her at times. The ending with Gabriel made me shed a tear. Poor Edith should never have been put in that situation.

The book had a dry sense of humour which I enjoyed and the characters were straight to the point and spoke their mind. I did struggle to connect with them though, as they all came cross a quite cold and detached.

The book had a really interesting view on immigration and what makes you a citizen. Edith’s experience moving to Ireland was really insightful as I didn’t realise there was such a divide between England and Ireland.

This was a lot heavier than I expected though. There was a lot of SA mentioned or alluded to and the way it was dealt with and brushed off was very much in with the time period but so distressing. I’m not sure if all of it was necessary.

I really enjoyed the narration. Listening to the Irish accents really made it feel more immersive and authentic.

Overall, this was an interesting book. It wasn’t what I expected it to be but it was a good book and I rate it 3⭐️.

An emotional journey reflecting on identity and belonging.

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The narrators ability to voice each character is superb and added greatly to the cohesion of each strand of the story . Loved it

Brilliant voicing of a poignant and absorbing tale

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Very relevant to today’s events & loved the 2 narratives of Edith at 17 & again when she is in her 70 s

Wonderful prose very moving story

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I’m a big fan of the author and have read all her fiction and one non fiction book. Like all Sarah’s books it contains a lot of themes which will put off some of my book groups

Good range in the narrator’s voice

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