The roof of a historic cottage is falling apart and the roofer is AWOL; the only thing in a worse state might be Tonwen’s personal life. Which will collapse first?

Tonwen Neli Tomos is in her thirties, and her life is about as stable as the roof of Tyddyn Betw, the old ruin in the village that she is tasked with restoring and converting into a heritage centre. As slates fall from the ruined roof, so too do the precarious structures of her life fall from under her – her tenuous home, her ambiguous relationship. And as those fall away, she must face her demons, all while researching the life of a turn-of-the-century saddler and avoiding committing financial misconduct while battling government grants to sort out Tyddyn Betw’s roof. Set in rural north-west Wales, Tonwen must contend with the housing crisis facing communities tied to the tourism sector, as well as the challenges of the heritage sector, the politics of village committees and the scourge that is unreliable tradespeople. A humorous, warm story about things falling apart, and what is revealed amongst the pieces. The book addresses many challenges faced all over Europe by communities struggling to find a balance with tourism, while holding on to what makes those communities and cultures worth fighting for.