From the author of the bestselling sensation Small Pleasures comes Shy Creatures, an extraordinary novel exploring themes of family, love, and the pursuit of freedom, inspired by a true story.

• An exploration of loneliness, love, and the quiet forces that shape our lives.
• Set in Croydon, 1964, focusing on art therapist Helen Hansford and her entanglement with a mysterious silent patient.
• Features a compelling narrative structure described as a warm, multilayered mystery.
• Written by Clare Chambers, author of the Silver Award bestseller Small Pleasures.

The story begins in 1964 Croydon when the 'Hidden Man' arrives at Westbury Park psychiatric hospital. Art therapist Helen Hansford, navigating a precarious affair with her married colleague Dr. Gil Rudden, finds her structured life upended by William Tapping, a silent thirty-seven-year-old man with a long beard. As Helen uses art to help William express himself, she becomes deeply involved in his mysterious past, leading to a life-affirming exploration of unforeseen consequences and unexpected forms of freedom.

• Author: Chambers, Clare
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Publication Date: June 5, 2025
• Print Length: 400 pages
• ISBN-10: 139960256X
• ISBN-13: 978-1399602563
• Dimensions: 126 x 34 x 196mm
• Weight: 278g

Discover this humane and exquisitely detailed novel that delves into unfolding secrets and the nature of liberation.