A searing and lyrical novel about memory, silence, and the lasting impact of a sister’s disappearance.

Hilary Mason is thirteen when her sister Elaine disappears. She fears someone close to the family is involved but represses her suspicions.

As an adult, Hilary becomes a successful novelist. In her fifties, she comes upon a stack of her old diaries, which document the trauma she’s endured. She decides she is ready to face the hidden backstory of her life.

She embarks on writing a memoir, Hilary’s Story, which will take her through her worst years and her best years, through courage and endurance, through friendship and great love.

The One Remaining is a captivating story of overcoming loss, finding the courage to trust those who believe in us, and the self-healing power of writing our stories.

‘The One Remaining is a wise, beautiful and moving novel about the whole of a woman’s life. I lived with the main character Hilary through her griefs, suffering and great joys. I cried as I read, then I wiped my eyes and smiled. McLean shows us how surviving loss and trauma is not linear or clear, but gives a depth and richness to life nonetheless.’ Sophie Gee, The Secret Life of Books podcast