'A writer of real gravitas and potency.' Ali Smith'An extraordinary journey ... Engrossing, original and eloquent.' Helen Dunmore'Elegiac and beautifully observed.' Observer'Vivid and captivating.' StylistI didn t realise my mother was a person until I was thirteen years old and she pulled me out of bed, put me in the back of her car, and we left home and my dad with no explanations. I thought that Ma was all that she was and all that she had ever wanted to be. I was wrong...As Ma and Alex make their way from Virginia to California, each new state prompts stories and secrets of a life before Alex. Together they put to rest unsettled scores, heal old wounds, and search out lost friends. But Alex can't forget the life they've left behind.