The Silver Chain

An uplifting coming-of-age verse novel about family, mental health and the healing power of music.

Azadeh is a budding violinist on a music scholarship at an expensive private school, dealing with all the usual trials of being sixteen: trying her best to fit in, keep up and have fun. Then her mum's mental health spirals out of control and Azadeh's world starts to unravel. Her friendships fall away, and while she and her dad try in their own ways to help her mum they find the gulf deepening between them. Feeling alone, it's her violin that finally helps Azadeh build bridges and - perhaps - even help her mum.

A beautifully packaged, highly important and unputdownable novel about mental health struggles and the solace we find in music and rhythm, friendship, family and honesty.