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In the summer of 2016, Geerteke van Lierop’s partner did not come home. He had drowned. What happens when fate strikes so unexpectedly? Van Lierop explores her unspeakable grief and in doing so reclaims life from death. In poetic language and with great clarity and a surprising lightness of touch, Sea of Glass introduces us to another form of beauty in life. This breathtaking debut is an ode to love, which is stronger than death. A story with universal appeal. But above all, a book that makes you look at life differently.

‘Sea of Glass beautifully maps how a life is lived after a death. Grief is prose, it is mundane, monotonous, dull, but its exploration here is poetry – brief thoughts and feelings, like shards of glass, catching a beam of light in a dark space. In Sea of Glass, Geerteke van Lierop schools herself through new words and new art to navigate how to live in this new landscape, formed by pain – but a pain celebrated as it perfectly balances the love that was felt.’ — Greg Wise, actor (Sense and Sensibility, The Crown)

‘Devoid of any sentimentality Van Lierop gives a razor-sharp account of her piercing loss and despair, but also of courage and a growing zest for life during the first year following her great love’s fatal accident.’ — ZIN Magazine

‘A sophisticated book that gives a penetrating picture of what happens when you face death.’ — Lex Bohlmeijer, De Correspondent

‘A moving book. It opens your eyes to people in grief.’ — Manu Keirse, Professor Emeritus of Grief, KU Leuven

About the writer

Geerteke van Lierop is a Dutch author, actress, and public speaker about loss and resilience. Sea of Glass, her debut, was published in Dutch by Uitgeverij Ten Have titled Een zee van glas. The book has been embraced by a wide audience. The fourth edition of Een zee van glas is currently sold out. Visit www.boekwinkeltjes.nl for a second-hand copy.

The English translation will be published in 2026.