Based on journals they kept independently, this is a powerful and uplifting book, giving each man’s story of family and friendship, purpose and hope after they each lost their daughters to suicide. They share their personal tragedies but also what they have learnt together, their coping strategies and their motivation for the future. 

Mike Palmer, Tim Owen and Andy Airey met through their shared grief, four years ago. They had all lost their daughters to suicide – Beth (17), Emily (19) and Sophie (29) were young women, full of promise.

Desperate not only to process their sorrow but also help stop other families experiencing what they had gone through, the men decided to take on a walk across the country, raising funds and awareness for suicide prevention.

They describe the journey through their home counties, from the Lakeland fells, through the Peak District dales, to the open, exposed fens of East Anglia. There are many instances of the kindness of strangers, but also meetings with other suicide-bereaved.

Although inevitably this book is deeply moving, it is also hugely life-affirming and at times wryly amusing. There are some incredible statistics presented about how big a problem suicide is in young people, and how simple interventions can make such a profound difference.

My interview with Tim Owen appears in 'Norfolk' magazine.