Author:Dodie Smith

'I write this sitting in the kitchen sink...'
This is the story of Cassandra, precocious and charming, who begins a journal detailing her life with her bohemian family in a crumbling old castle. On the cusp of adulthood, Cassandra meets the family's growing challenges of poverty and decay with indefatigable humour and insight.
However, her life is turned upside down when the American heirs to the castle arrive and Cassandra finds herself falling in love. Both a gorgeous study of 1930s England and a sharp exposition of what it's like to be teenage girl, I Capture The Castle is a novel layered with eccentricity and nostalgia.
Meet ten of literature's most iconic heroines, jacketed in bold portraits by female photographers from around the world.
The perfect lockdown read - gentle and infused with a glowing warmth, featuring an emotional complexity that makes the simple story rewarding throughout
—— IndependentStanišic is a poet and revolutionary who has found his true home in language.
—— Rolling StoneWonderfully inventive and impressive.
—— GuardianOffensively gifted... Some kind of freak genius.
—— Irish ExaminerStanišic is an exceptionally talented, impish and caring writer who has walked the edge of the abyss.
—— LA TimesIt is easy to say that a book is important; this one - especially now, especially here - is of great importance.
—— Die Welt[A] brilliant novel... wonderfully alive, vital in its depiction of family life... The book's conclusion...is a bravura, sustained and singular piece of writing that bursts with wit, heart and empathy... all of which land deftly in Damion Searl's excellent translation.
—— Stuart Evers , ObserverWhere You Come From...is most powerful in its gentle undoing of what learning a new dialect might seem... Stanìšic's prose is calm, persuasively so.
—— Elliot Hoste , New StatesmanIt's the perfect time of year to read this book - the dark nights, cold weather and the noises that houses make as they settle down for the winter are the ideal backdrop for this genre. I do hope Maclean writes more stories like this, I am very keen to read what comes next. *Please let there be another!*
—— Female FirstPacing is intense, I was on the edge of my seat from the moment Tim got to that manor until the end. Maclean's writing style fits the horror genre perfectly and it was a great debut novel, not to mention it sets the bar very high for him on his next book!
—— Caffeinated ReaderThe atmosphere of this novel is effective, an example of using a kind of listless 70s landscape to explore the supernatural, growing up, and trauma (70s British gothic should be a genre by now, if it isn't already). There's a good balance between actual malevolent spirits and what is realistic troubles from non-supernatural life, making it a book less focusing on jumpy scares than a lingering sense of bleakness. This probably made it an unintentionally good read for the week before Halloween at a time when there's plenty of real life horrors going on.
—— Fiendfully ReadingSet in 1970s Suffolk, it's a riot of references that will thrill the disquieted children of the era ... a twisting and chilling story ... the perfect Ghost Story for Christmas 2020.
—— Fortean TimesThis eerie novel is a splendid, compelling tribute to the era that inspired it
—— The HeraldClear your diary, switch off your phone, and get lost in this atmospheric and madly gripping ghost story. You won't sleep until you find out - and you won't sleep afterwards, either
—— Daily Mirror'[A] gorgeously crafted novel'
—— The Washington PostA sweet, charming and wonderfully astute take on humanity and its foibles, this is gorgeous storytelling
—— Psychologies, Book of the MonthThe Lincoln Highway is a joyride...[a] delightful tour de force .. There's so much to enjoy in this generous novel packed with fantastic characters
—— NPR.orgFollowing the runaway success of A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles returns with his third major novel, and we're pleased to say it's another stunner... A gem of a book
—— Woman and Home, Book of the Month[The Lincoln Highway] is reason to rejoice for Towles's millions of fans, who made his first two novels, Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow, runaway international bestsellers
—— The MillionsTowles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow (2016)... A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, Towles' novel is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana.
—— Kirkus starred review"[The] notion of American openness, of ever-fractalizing free will, coming up against the fickle realities of fate is the tension that powers Towles' exciting, entertaining [...] picaresque . . . Stories can bring us back to ourselves, Towles seems to say, if only we are open to receiving their power . . . Anyone who follows The Lincoln Highway will relish the trip
—— Los Angeles TimesAn enthralling odyssey
—— PeopleAbsorbing
—— USA TodayA wild ride through Americana
—— BuzzFeedHistory [and] adventure collide in The Lincoln Highway . . . The pace is fast and writing concise, making it a digestible read whether in bed or at a loud coffee shop
—— Associated PressMagnificent . . . Towles is a supreme storyteller, and this one-of-a-kind kind of novel isn't to be missed
—— Publishers Weekly[A] playfully thought-provoking novel . . . [Towles] juggles the pieces of his plot deftly, shifting from voice to voice, skirting sentimentality and quirkiness with a touch of wistful regret, and leading up to an ending that is bound to provoke discussion
—— BooklistA new author to me- but I'll be reading Amor's A Gentlemen in Moscow, as I was blown away by this... A heartfelt read, one that makes me think of coming of age film Stand By Me
—— PrimaA natural storyteller, Towles keeps the plot ticking over nicely in a solid holiday listen destined for the big screen
—— Irish ExaminerA perfect paperback
—— The HeraldA book to lose yourself in
—— Muddy Stilettos






