Hiraeth: What was

by Rae Jones

In Hiraeth – What was, Rae Jones tells a lyrical and unflinching story of growing up in 1970s and 80s Britain. The Welsh word hiraeth speaks of longing for what is lost or never fully found — an ache that threads through this coming-of-age memoir.

From the shadow of a fractured family — a father’s thwarted brilliance turned bitter, a mother’s affection thinned by fatigue, a grandmother’s quiet strength — Meg learns early the art of survival. Moves between houses and cities bring little relief, only new walls to absorb old silences. Yet amid the fractures, she finds a Miss Selfridge skirt, the glamour of Schofields, the hum of early computers, the escape routes offered by music from Queen to Annie Lennox.

With sharp cultural detail and tender honesty, Jones evokes the textures of adolescence — the bruises, the resilience, and the first fragile steps toward independence.



More than a memoir of survival, Hiraeth – Fractures & First Flights is a meditation on for home, for belonging, for what might have been. It is the story of how a girl carries hiraeth into adulthood, not as defeat but as a companion.



Perfect for readers of literary memoirs, family stories, and cultural histories of the 70s and 80s, this is the first book in

600 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 11, 2025

About the author

Rae Jones once sprung from the wild deserts of Eastern Oregon, was raised on a liquid diet of business savvy, money management and stress, has been spotted in exotic locations like Indonesia, Mexico, Japan, Canada and the always mysterious U.S of A. A self-proclaimed coffee aficionado and champagne sipper, this author and adventure provocateur has a PhD in learning life lessons the hard way. In her spare time she channels all of her excess jittery energy and butterfly-length attention span into ideas of how to leave footprints on all the sandy beaches of the world.

For more information about her and her work, please check her website at www.beginanadventure.com