Author:Anna Cato
Louise Carmichael is the daughter of an English artist and a French emmissary. When she first meets Geoffrey Carmichael she is 19, working for her grandfather in his famous art gallery in Paris and desolate. Geoffrey offers escape - to her father's world and a life of her own, but she could have no idea that life in Oxford would come complete with its own constraints and restrictions. Twenty years later she makes a small bid for freedom and the taste of liberty is a dangerous thing wth unforseen results. . . .
An extraordinary and peculiarly haunting novel
—— Chris Cleave , author of The Other HandExtraordinary
—— Emma Donoghue, author of RoomEnchanting and compellingly dark... This is an intensely personal story, but told with a lightness of touch and air of magic
—— Nigella Lawson , Mail on Sunday Books of the YearA tremendously affecting novel, skillfully and arrestingly written, and one that packs a big emotional punch
—— Sunday TimesBoth sinister and sharply intriguing, with a completely convincing eleven-year-old narrator caught in fundamentalism, school persecution and the edge of the miraculous
—— A.S. Byatt , Guardian, Books of the YearBursting with tension and tenderness, this novel is a small miracle in itself
—— Helen Brown , Daily MailGrace McCleen's writing is deep, fantastical and powerful... She has been able to observe a fascinating world with generosity, wonder and spirit. A wonderful gem of a debut
—— Viv Groskop , Independent on SundayAffecting and brilliantly written…a truly awe-inspiring debut
—— StylistSurprising, affecting, thoughtful and complex, McCleen's novel grows in power the more time you spend with it
—— Nicola Barr , ObserverExquisitely written and imagined
—— Woman & HomeA stand-out debut from a new talent ... Inventive and unforgettable
—— Good HousekeepingAn incredibly emotional read
—— GraziaA thrilling page-turner
—— Alexander Larman , SpectatorThis is a novel that strikes both horror and joy in the reader, the first-person narration deftly articulating Judith's escalating confusion and fear ... A talent to watch
—— Lucy Scholes , The Sunday TimesA touching, delicate book, it's hitting the shelves with high hopes...On March 1, head out and buy Grace McCleen's book
—— Louis Wise , Sunday TimesA distinctive debut that pulls off the use of a child narrator in delightful style
—— We Love This BookTouching and funny… a compelling and wholly original debut.
—— Marie ClaireShimmers with little miracles.
—— Peggy Hughes , Scotland on SundayThis is a promisingly bold book and McCleen is a talent to watch
—— Lucy Scholes , Sunday TimesA gripping and mesmerizing debut of an unforgettable ten-year-old heroine and her battle with good and evil… A harrowing and powerful story about isolation and belonging
—— My WeeklyAn original new voice... Haunting and absorbing, this is a joy to read
—— Jackie Carrier , Suffolk Free PressA seemingly slight work that is, in fact, possessed of almost infinite depth. It's an elegant inquiry into what we can know and how we can know it - and it's gripping too
—— Erica Wagner , The Times, Books of the YearIt sets off a moving meditation on ageing, regret and the unreliability of memory
—— Sunday Express, Books of the YearHas rightly been praised for its economy and elegance
—— Margaret Drabble , Guardian, Books of the YearBelatedly and deservedly, this was the year of Julian Barnes
—— Mark Lawson , Guardian, Books of the YearExquisitely written and deeply engaging
—— Lorrie Moore , Guardian, Books of the YearElegant verbal exactness, analytic finesse and a witty portrayal of contemporary and 1960's life complement the intricate plot
—— Peter Kemp , Sunday Times, Books of the YearA worthy Booker laureate of this or any other year, our most versatile novelist...a perfect present in these last days of the book as a singular object
—— Philip French , Observer, Books of the YearA worthy winner of this year's Booker prize: short, but certainly not slight, precise and insightful
—— Kate Cunningham , Herald, Books of the YearThis novel packed more emotion into its 150 pages than any other I have read this year
—— Bob McDevitt , Herald, Books of the YearMelancholic, suspenseful and thought-provoking
—— Kirsty Wark , Herald, Books of the YearSeveral plot twists later, what started off as a thoughtful (and fascinating) meditation on memory becomes something close to a full blown thriller
—— James Walton , Daily MailEssential reading for any writer, aspiring or otherwise
—— Patrick Keogh , GuardianA meditation on memory and regret slyly conveyed through the unreliable voice of a complacent man whose past gives him a nasty surprise
—— Justine Jordan , GuardianA deserving winner
—— Éibhear Walshe , Irish Times, Books of the YearMasterful, gripping and, above all, surprising
—— Victoria Hislop , The Week, Books of the YearBarnes has always has an ear for the bleak comedy of the first person
—— Olivia Cole , GQNovel, fertile and memorable
—— Justine Jordan , GuardianJulian Barnes’ Man-Booker prize-winning novel has extraordinary power and emotional density
—— Simon Shaw , Mail on SundayAn eloquent meditation on relationships, emotional arrogance and the discomfort of remorse
—— James Urquhart , Financial TimesThe key to this slender, tantalizing mystery is on its opening page: what you end up remembering isn’t always the same as what you have witnessed
—— Katie Owen , Daily TelegraphHis art is artful, often openly so, but never showy or obvious
—— Colm Toibin , New York ReviewDescribed in Justin Cartwright’s review as 'a very fine book, skillfully plotted, boldly conceived’
—— Guardian, Holiday ReadsI am eager to read it, though I hear it needs to be read twice to be fully appreciated
—— Colm O'Gorman , Independent