On a winter's day in 2002, a bottle shaped like a tear was washed up on the Kent coast. It contained a letter written in French, a lock of hair, and a mystery. Only one thing could be known for certain - that the writer of the letter was a mother, grieving for her lost child, Maurice.

Moved by the woman's heartache Karen Liebrich sets out on a journey to piece together the mother's story. her book is the compelling true story of one woman's search for another, and a poigniant reflection on love, loss and motherhood.

Now, almost a decade since she found the bottle washed up in the surf, Leibrich has been contacted by its author. In this candid and moving account she tells of her long quest and of its emotional conclusion.