Before the Storm

by Diane Chamberlain

Published 27 May 2008

'Totally amazing. I love Diane's writing, just love it . . . she is so skilled' - Cathy Kelly

What if your child was accused of mass murder?

When the local church is razed to the ground, dozens of trapped children manage to escape - many helped by fifteen-year-old Andy Lockwood. Born with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Andy is more like a little boy that a teenager, but in the eyes of the people he saved, he's a hero.

Laurel lost her son once through neglect and has spent the rest of her life determined to make up for her mistakes. Yet when suspicion of arson is cast upon Andy, Laurel must ask herself how well she really knows her son - and how far she'll go to protect him.

Praise for Diane Chamberlain

'An incredibly moving story very sensitively told, rich in character and atmosphere. I truly couldn't put it down' - Susan Lewis on Necessary Lies

'Fans of Jodi Picoult will delight in this finely tuned family drama, with beautifully drawn characters and a string of twists that will keep you guessing right up to the end.' - Stylist

'A marvellously gifted author. Every book she writes is a gem' - Literary Times

'Essential reading for Jodi Picoult fans' Daily Mail

'So full of unexpected twists you'll find yourself wanting to finish it in one sitting. Fans of Jodi Picoult's style will love how Diane Chamberlain writes.' - Candis


One afternoon, single mother Sara Weston says that she's going to the store--and never returns. In her absence, she leaves her teenage son alone with his damaged past and a legacy of secrets.

Keith Weston nearly lost his life in an act of arson. He survived--but with devastating physical and emotional scars. Without his mother, he has no one to help him heal, no money, nothing to live for but the medications that numb his pain. Isolated and angry, his hatred has one tight focus: his half sister, Maggie Lockwood.

Nineteen-year-old Maggie Lockwood spent a year in prison for the acts that led up to the fire. Now she's back home. But her release cannot free her from the burden of guilt she carries. She grew up with Keith Weston, played with him as a child...and recently learned they share the same father.

Now the person Keith despises most is the closest thing he has to family--until Sara returns. If Sara returns....