Meridian

$27.00

By Patrick Ness

Matthew and Greaves are made for each other. It's in their stars—if they could only meet in the right timeline.

Matthew is determined to write one last book, and through its pages find his way back to his beloved husband Greaves, who was killed years earlier in a mass shooting. Their story begins in a backcountry bar, swigging Victoria Bitters. Or was it on the moors of Wheatley Manor, or the polished deck of the Celestia? A gruff laugh, wide shoulders, that undefinable scent—details flash and vanish as he reaches for them. Has age dulled his memory, or is something else keeping him subdued? When a familiar voice breaks through with a clear message—"You have to get out"—Matthew makes a bid for freedom that launches both men across time and space in pursuit of one another.

From a near-future dystopia to the trenches of Europe, from the American frontier to a town of teenage ghosts, from an interplanetary ship to the steps of the Sydney Opera House, Meridian is transgressive, mischievous, and miraculous. Ness gets to the crux of the question: who gets to tell our stories? And who gets to write the ending?

By Patrick Ness

Matthew and Greaves are made for each other. It's in their stars—if they could only meet in the right timeline.

Matthew is determined to write one last book, and through its pages find his way back to his beloved husband Greaves, who was killed years earlier in a mass shooting. Their story begins in a backcountry bar, swigging Victoria Bitters. Or was it on the moors of Wheatley Manor, or the polished deck of the Celestia? A gruff laugh, wide shoulders, that undefinable scent—details flash and vanish as he reaches for them. Has age dulled his memory, or is something else keeping him subdued? When a familiar voice breaks through with a clear message—"You have to get out"—Matthew makes a bid for freedom that launches both men across time and space in pursuit of one another.

From a near-future dystopia to the trenches of Europe, from the American frontier to a town of teenage ghosts, from an interplanetary ship to the steps of the Sydney Opera House, Meridian is transgressive, mischievous, and miraculous. Ness gets to the crux of the question: who gets to tell our stories? And who gets to write the ending?

About the author

Patrick Ness is the multi-award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for adults, young adults, and children, including A Monster Calls and the Chaos Walking trilogy. He is published in over forty languages, and has won every major prize in children’s fiction, including the Carnegie Medal (twice), as well as the Olivier Award for the stage adaptation of A Monster Calls. He adapted two of his own novels for film and created and wrote Class, an eight-part Doctor Who spinoff for BBC. His critically-acclaimed novels include The Crash of Hennington, The Crane Wife, More Than This, The Rest of Just Live Here, Release, And the Ocean Was Our Sky, Burn, and Different for Boys.

Book Details

Hardcover ISBN: 9781632064561 • $27.00
eBook ISBN: 9781632064578
Publication date: February 23, 2027
5.5" x 8.25" • 336 pages

Other buying options

Amazon | Kindle | Bookshop | eBook

Praise for Patrick Ness’ The Crane Wife

“When George and his daughter, with their seemingly ordinary quirks and heartbreaks, are befriended by an enigmatic woman, art, beauty, and myth become living forces in their lives. This poignant novel echoes with the longings and sorrows of the ages. But what came as a most delightful surprise is the humor and humanity that Patrick Ness brings to this story.”

—Eowyn Ivey, New York Times bestselling author of The Snow Child

"Patrick Ness is on top form here . . . The Crane Wife is a tale full of bittersweet wonder with a very human soul. A treat."

—Matt Haig, author of The Radleys

“This is a novel that treads with feather-deft steps through ordinary lives touched by magic, then takes flight on wing beats of powerful storytelling.”

—Ali Shaw, author of The Girl with Glass Feet

“What’s striking is the beauty and humanity of Ness’s writing.”

—Ben East, The Observer

"The Crane Wife is a special novel: a perfect fusion of surreal imagery and beautifully crafted internal logic."

—Helen Brown, The Telegraph

Enthralling and delightful . . . The dialogue is natural and inspired, and sparkles with latent tension.”

—Leyla Sanai, The Independent

“A fusion of mid-life crisis comedy and classic storytelling.”

—Kate Saunders, The Times

“Ness is a highly accomplished storyteller and the gravitational pull of the earthbound strand of his tale is strong enough to stop it from floating off into whimsy. He also has a rare ability to cut poignancy with humour. . . .the mood he creates is unsettling and potent.”

—Michael Prodger, Financial Times

“The story is lively and often quite funny.”

—Ursula Le Guin, The Guardian

“The Crane Wife is a magical and beautiful book – spellbinding from start to finish.”

—Herald on Sunday (New Zealand)