It's on a close, airless night at the end of the summer season that the earthquake strikes, devastating the Turkish coast and generating a tsunami wave that crashes over the tiny Greek island of Halemni. It's a defining moment for t he two women at the heart of Rosie Thomas's The Potter's House.

For Olivia, who has settled on the island with her Greek husband and two sons, it's a catalyst, forcing her to reassess her life away from England and take stock of what matters to her; for Kitty, it's a chance to turn her back on an unsuccessful marriage and start again, with a new identity, a rewritten past and a hopeful future.

When Kitty arrives on Halemni in the aftermath of the tidal wave, she's a woman who had "gradually become someone who listened, rather than a creature who went out and did things". But by throwing herself into helping the Greek villagers rebuild their homes, she gains independence and confidence, and slips seamlessly into Olivia's world.