Cathy Rentzenbrink – författare

'A tender appreciation of life’s beauty' - Matt Haig, The GuardianIn How to Feel Better, bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink shares the advice that has seen her through life's ups and downs. From her etiquette for bad news to the words of wisdom she would like to pass onto her son, How to Feel Better is full of warm, gentle guidance and comfort for when you need it most.Previously published as A Manual for Heartache, this revised edition contains a new introduction from Cathy and an inspiring addendum of advice from other authors on what they do to feel better, whatever the world throws their way.

A Richard and Judy Book club selection.In the summer of 1990, Cathy's brother Matty was knocked down by a car on the way home from a night out. It was two weeks before his GCSE results, which turned out to be the best in his school. Sitting by his unconscious body in hospital, holding his hand and watching his heartbeat on the monitors, Cathy and her parents willed him to survive. They did not know then that there are many and various fates worse than death. This is the story of what happened to Cathy and her brother, and the unimaginable decision that she and her parents had to make eight years after the night that changed everything. It's a story for anyone who has ever watched someone suffer or lost someone they loved or lived through a painful time that left them forever changed. Told with boundless warmth and affection, The Last Act of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink is a heartbreaking yet uplifting testament to a family's survival and the price we pay for love.

The wise, witty and moving debut novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink - exploring the deeper reality of marriage, parenthood and the way life thwarts our expectations

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER HAPPILY EVER AFTER?'I can't stop thinking about it' Elizabeth Day'A total triumph' Nina Stibbe'Beautiful, moving and so funny and well-observed' Philippa PerryWhen Juliet moves into her late mother's house, making friends with the neighbouring families is the last thing on her mind. Grief and guilt are weighing her down, and working motherhood is a juggle. But for her husband Liam, the morning coffees and after-school gatherings soon reveal the secret struggles, fears and rivalries playing out behind closed doors - all of which are perfect inspiration for his new novel . . .When the rupture of a marriage sends ripples through the group, painful home truths are brought to light. And then, one sun-drenched afternoon, life overturns in an instant and nothing on Magnolia Road will ever be the same again.The fiction debut from Sunday Times bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink, Everyone Is Still Alive is funny and moving, intimate and wise; a novel that explores the deeper realities of marriage and parenthood and the way life thwarts our expectations at every turn.

'Here is the absolute truth about love, told with wisdom, heart and humour. So clever, funny and life-affirming'Meg Mason'Funny and heartbreaking, immersive and thoroughly satisfying'Nina StibbeThere are already three of us in this marriage. I'm not sure there is room for a fourth . . .Ann is a reluctant Vicar's wife. She tries her best but her husband only has eyes for God, her son is asking questions she struggles to answer, and it is all too easy to displease the congregation. It may only be a matter of time before she makes the headlines of the local gazette: Vicar's wife gets giggles in church. Vicar's wife refuses to bake scones. Vicar's wife does not care about other people.When her brother needs her help, Ann travels from Cornwall up to London. There she meets Jamie, and a new world unexpectedly opens up. Ann knows what the older women of the parish would say - she's made her bed and now she has to lie in it. But once she has been led into temptation, it may prove impossible to resist . . .The funny and heartbreaking new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink, Ordinary Time is an unforgettable story of the joys and sorrows of everyday life; one that asks big questions about friendship and marriage, forgiveness and redemption, and the real meaning of love.'Once I started reading I couldn't stop. Cathy Rentzenbrink is so astute and observant about the small dramas, disappointments and compromises of marriage, and the deadening effects of duty . . . incredibly moving'Clare Chambers'A very special book . . . She makes the everyday profound like Anne Tyler does. Melancholy interiority meets great capacity for joy. A beautiful, beautiful book about love in all its forms'Marian Keyes

'There are already three of us in this marriage. I'm not sure there is room for a fourth . . .'Ann is a reluctant Vicar's wife. She tries her best but her husband only has eyes for God, her son is asking questions she struggles to answer, and it is all too easy to displease the congregation. It may only be a matter of time before she makes the headlines of the local gazette: Vicar's wife gets giggles in church. Vicar's wife refuses to bake scones. Vicar's wife does not care about other people.When her brother needs her help, Ann travels from Cornwall up to London. There she meets Jamie, and a new world unexpectedly opens up. Ann knows what the older women of the parish would say - she's made her bed and now she has to lie in it. But once she has been led into temptation, it may prove impossible to resist . . .The funny and heartbreaking new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink, Ordinary Time is an unforgettable story of the joys and sorrows of everyday life; one that asks big questions about friendship and marriage, forgiveness and redemption, and the real meaning of love.

'There are already three of us in this marriage. I'm not sure there is room for a fourth . . .' Ann is a reluctant Vicar's wife. She tries her best but her husband only has eyes for God, her son is asking questions she can't answer, and it is all too easy to displease the congregation.When her brother needs her help, Ann travels from Cornwall up to London. There she meets Jamie, and a new world unexpectedly opens up. Ann knows what the older women of the parish would say - she's made her bed and now she has to lie in it. But once she has been led into temptation, it may prove impossible to resist . . .

'I devoured A Manual for Heartache in one sitting . . . a kind, honest and wise book about how to make a friend of sadness.' - Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.When Cathy Rentzenbrink was still a teenager, her happy family was torn apart by an unthinkable tragedy. In A Manual for Heartache she describes how she learnt to live with grief and loss and find joy in the world again. She explores how to cope with life at its most difficult and overwhelming and how we can emerge from suffering forever changed, but filled with hope.This is a moving, warm and uplifting book that offers solidarity and comfort to anyone going through a painful time, whatever it might be. It's a book that will help to soothe an aching heart and assure its readers that they're not alone.

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Last Act of Love, Cathy Rentzenbrink's Dear Reader is the ultimate love letter to reading and to finding the comfort and joy in stories.'Exquisite' - Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups'A warm, unpretentious manifesto for why books matter’ - Sunday ExpressGrowing up, Cathy Rentzenbrink was rarely seen without her nose in a book and read in secret long after lights out. When tragedy struck, it was books that kept her afloat. Eventually they lit the way to a new path, first as a bookseller and then as a writer. No matter what the future holds, reading will always help.A moving, funny and joyous exploration of how books can change the course of your life, packed with recommendations from one reader to another.

Tackle the challenges of memoir writing and share your story.'Cathy is the person who first told me to write about my mental health when I was nervous to do so. She is a great writer herself and this is brilliant.' - Matt Haig, author of The Comfort BookWhy do we want to write and what stops us? How do we fight the worry that no-one will care what we have to say? What can we do to overcome the obstacles in our way? Sunday Times bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink shows you how to tackle all this and more in Write It All Down, a guide to putting your life on the page. Complete with a compendium of advice from amazing writers such as Dolly Alderton, Adam Kay and Candice Carty-Williams, this book is here to help you discover the pleasure and solace to be found in writing; the profound satisfaction of wrestling a story onto a page and seeing the events of your life transformed through the experience of writing a memoir.Perfect for seasoned writers as well as writing amateurs and everyone in between, this helpful handbook will steer you through the philosophical and practical challenges of writing, whether you're struggling with writers block or worrying what people will say. Intertwined with reflections and exercises, Write It All Down is at once an intimate conversation and an invitation to share your story.'A gentle, wise and witty book that will take you by the hand and guide your words onto the page - I truly wish I'd read it before I began to write.' – Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path