'Barnett has that rare talent, like Curtis Sittenfeld or Kate Atkinson, of building up the mundane aspects of everyday life until they acquire meaning' THE TIMES

'Barnett excels herself in this mesmerising ballad of a book...Greatest Hits is not just about music, it's about people: their ambitions, friendships and flaws. An absolute must read' STYLIST

If you could choose just sixteen moments to define your entire life, what would they be? Cass Wheeler has seen it all - from the searing heights of success, to earth-shattering moments of despair. She has known passion, envy, pride, fear, and love. She has been a daughter, a mother, a singer, a lover.

A musician born in 1950, Cass is now taking one day to select the sixteen songs in her repertoire that have meant the most to her. And behind each song lies a story - from the day her mother abandoned her, to her passionate first love, to the moment she lost everything. The dreams, the failures, the second chances. But what made her disappear so suddenly from her public life and, most importantly, can she find her way back?

'The mother/daughter relationship is the most moving aspect ofthis excellent book...This engaging, emotionally charged novel about music,motherhood and mental illness deserves to be a hit' OBSERVER

What readers are saying about GREATEST HITS:

'A brilliant and unusual read...There is real emotional power to Cass's story and you really feel it in the narrative....It gives an unfiltered personal history, with joy, love, failures, regrets and all that it takes to live delivered beautifully' Goodreads 5 star review

'Truly, truly wonderful in every way imaginable and I can't recommend it highly enough' Goodreads 5 star review

'A triumphant second book to follow up to The Versions of Us which I also adored' Goodreads 5 star review

'A truly unique and memorable novel. Definitely one of the best novels so far this year' Goodreads 5 star review

'Filled with characters who burst from the page, dealing with almost unbearable sorrows and incredible highs, Greatest Hits is an absolute triumph. I loved every single page' Goodreads 5 star review

About the Author
Laura Barnett was born in 1982 in south London. She studied Spanish and Italian at Cambridge University, and newspaper journalism at City University, London. As a freelance arts journalist, features writer and theatre critic, Laura has worked for the GUARDIAN, the OBSERVER and the DAILY TELEGRAPH amongst others. THE VERSIONS OF US, her debut novel, was a no. 1 bestseller and has been translated into 23 languages. She is also the author of the novels GREATEST HITS, GIFTS and THIS BEATING HEART.

Reviews
The mother/daughter relationship is the most moving aspect of this excellent book, and as Cass becomes a mother herself the novels asks, to what extent can harmful patterns by broken? This engaging, emotionally charged novel about music, motherhood and mental illness deserves to be a hit. * THE OBSERVER *
Barnett has that rare talent, like Curtis Sittenfeld or Kate Atkinson, of building up the mundane aspects of everyday life until they acquire meaning. * THE TIMES *
Barnett excels herself in this mesmerising ballad of a book.. an authentic account of the true cost of laying oneself bare as a female artist in an industry where double standards reign. * STYLIST - BOOK WARS *
Barnett's portrait is unusually perceptive, a mixture of evocative detail and sharp reportage that feels fresh to read * SUNDAY TIMES *
Barnett's style is poetic, perceptive and so fully realised it reads like an exceptionally well-written biography of a real person.. A fascinating, occasionally sobering, portrait of fame. * DAILY MAIL *
For fans of Laura Barnett's debut novel, The Versions of Us, her next novel Greatest Hits is no disappointment.. Barnett proves once again that she can master the art of storytelling and weave a complex, enticing plot into 400 pages. * THE INDEPENDENT *
this is a wonderful story - soulful, tender and full of hope * SUNDAY MIRROR *
has a wisdom and a harmony that are satisfying * THE GUARDIAN *
the overriding melody in this seductive novel is the pleasure and pain of living a creative life. * SUNDAY EXPRESS *
Everybody's talking about Greatest Hits. * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *
A thoughtful portrait of a competitive marriage, of artistic sacrifice, of female ambition and of irredemablle emotional damage." * METRO *
In June look out for the second novel by Laura Barnett, the author of the bestselling debut The Versions of Us. Greatest Hits is the tale of legendary singer-songwriter Cass Wheeler who chooses 16 songs for her Greatest Hits compilation, the songs telling the story of her tumultuous life. * DAILY EXPRESS *
Barnett's debut, The Versions of Us, was one of the hits of 2015. Her second novel tells the story of singer-songwriter Cass Wheeler, whose withdrawal from the music industry years ago was the cause of endless speculation. Now she's surfaced again, and over the course of one day she looks back over her life as she compiles her greatest hits album. * MAIL ON SUNDAY *
The Versions of Us was a bestseller with rights sold in 25 countries. Her follow-up, Greatest Hits, is about a singer-songwriter who tells her tumultuous life story through her personal greatest hits compilation. * SUNDAY EXPRESS *
Laura Barnett will follow up her bestselling debut, The Versions of Us. Greatest Hits tells the story of a hugely successful singer-songwriter who has disappeared from the music scene and selects 16 songs for her personal greatest hits compilation. * BBC NEWS *
2017 is already shaping up to be a brilliant year for books. Bestselling authors Paula Hawkins and Laura Barnett will be back with their much-awaited second novels. * STYLIST.CO.UK *
Laura Barnett's Greatest Hits is as readable a story as her debut The Versions of Us. * 25/01/17 *
A poignant story of the highs and lows of rock-star life. * TATLER *
A beautiful book -- Rachel Joyce



Book Information
ISBN 9781474600903
Author Laura Barnett
Format Paperback
Page Count 464
Imprint Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 440g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 128mm * 38mm