Clownfish

“What’s it like, Dad – being a fish?” Grief takes many forms, and manifests itself in strange ways. Sometimes very strange indeed. When, on an ordinary morning, Dak’s father suddenly dies of a heart attack, Dak’s mother falls apart. Desperate to escape the atmosphere at home, Dak finds himself going to his dad’s favourite place – the local aquarium. And there, to his amazement, is Dad, who it seems is alive and well as a clownfish! With his mum so ill, Dak decides that, for now, this will have to be his secret, and his alone. But he visits the clownfish tank as often as he can, which is how he comes to meet Violet, the owner’s niece. She’s offhand and unfriendly – yet when the aquarium is threatened with closure, Dak and Violet need to work together to save it. For Dak, the stakes couldn’t be higher: if the aquarium shuts down, what will happen to Dad? Gently funny, moving and undoubtedly strange, this is a haunting story of life after loss from an award-winning author.