The Shock of the Light: A Novel

“A wonderfully conceived and remarkably assured first novel, rich in emotion and with a truly compelling narrative drive. A brilliant success.”
—William Boyd, bestselling author of Any Human Heart

For readers of The Nightingale, In Memoriam, and The Postcard, a sweeping novel of siblings, steeped in love, heart-rending loss, and sacrifice, the story of twins who meet shockingly different fates, but whose bond will last forever

Twins Tessa and Theo are roots of the same tree, in tune with one another’s every thought and desire. As World War II takes hold across Europe, both are eager to do their part. Theo is recruited by the RAF and disappears into the skies, while Tessa jumps at the chance to join the Special Operations Executive, devoted to spying and sabotage behind enemy lines. It will be dangerous, highly classified work, but Tessa, despite all she shares with Theo, is no stranger to secret-keeping. 

Two years later, Theo comes home. Tessa does not.

Theo, wounded, broken by the loss of his fellows and disappearance of his sister, is indefatigable, angry, and driven.  He has secrets of his own that could jeopardize his future, and—he will pay a price for pursuing answers about Tessa’s fate. 


Decades later, PhD candidate Edie is deep into her research on the Special Operations Executive during the war. When she finds Theo in London, they form an unlikely partnership, and together they will try to uncover the truth about Theo’s beloved sister—and the one secret she never told him…

Stunningly and propulsively written, The Shock of the Light is a novel of bravery, the brutal human cost of war, a brother and sister bond that outlasts even death, and the redemptive love that grows in unexpected places.