Author:Susan Madison
All her life, she had feared death by water. All her life, she had imagined the death would be her own.
Every year, the Connelly family spends its summers at Carter's House in Sweetharbour, New England. It's a peaceful place, full of happy memories, the scent of pinewoods and a spectacular view of the coastline. And every summer Ruth's teenage children, Will and Josie, try to persuade their mother to give up her prestigious job at a Boston law firm and move there permanently. But Ruth has worked too hard, too long, to want to start again at the bottom.
This summer seems far removed from those idyllic days. Ruth and her husband Paul are growing apart, and her relationship with Josie, an impetuous, artistic young woman, has reached breaking point. Ruth tries to tell herself that Josie is just a mass of bewildered hormones, but it pains her to see the hatred in her daughter's eyes.
One fateful afternoon they go on a boating trip together and are caught in a terrible storm during which Josie is swept overboard. Her body is never recovered and the family is tormented by grief and guilt. Ruth buries herself in her work and refuses to discuss the tragic events, and Paul cannot bear it when his wife pushes him away all the time. Will strives valiantly to cope with his own loss and keep the family together, but it is a huge responsibility for a fourteen-year-old boy.
Eames conveys a strong sense of political turmoil enflamed by sinister witch doctors, brutal guerilla factions and superstitious misogyny…compelling.
—— Alfred Hickling , GuardianAn extraordinarily drawn tale.
—— Book TrustEames is a lovely writer
—— Lesley McDowell , Independent on SundayOne of the most beautifully written, sad, magical yet clear-eyed novels I've read by any author for many years
—— Wales Arts ReviewThe book blends folklore and superstition perfectly with accessible language, relatable characters, believable dialogue and a fast-paced, well-structured plot...yet another powerful piece of writing.
—— For Book's SakeAtmospheric...Eames is a writer who injects even the grimmest if scenarios with an overarching tenderness
—— IndependentCombining folklore with politics and plenty of heartwrenching moments, Eames offers beautiful and sympathetic descriptions of the world she creates without losing sight of the tragedies in her character's lives
—— Daniel Falconer , Big Issue in the NorthSincere, resolute
—— Jonathan Barnes , Literary ReviewThis extraordinary and quite brilliant first novel describes a life that is bumping along the very bottom...The writing is wonderfully inventive, encompassing grim reality and wild, romantic fantasy, and the true magic lies in the way the author manages to present the fragments as a funny, charming, beautiful whole
—— Kate Saunders , The TimesRemarkable story
—— TLSThe most original book I have read for quite a long time
—— ObserverRiverting ... both disturbing and entertaining, with twisted low-life chracters rivalling any created by Martin Amis or Nicola Barker
—— Leyla Sanai , SpectatorSounds like a must-read
—— Reading MattersUtterly remarkable…sad in its depth, but delightful on the shimmering surface… It might only be February, but there's going to need to be some strong competition in the months to come if this doesn't end up being my book of the year
—— The BookbagA wonderful survivor’s story… It’s excellent
—— Peter Murchie , British Journal of General PracticeThe Innocents has garnered her a next-Zadie-Smith style buzz.
—— TatlerSegal writes with delicacy, accumulating details that create the texture of Adam and Rachel’s world… Adam is well drawn and not unsympathetic, and Segal has skillfully created a cast of secondary characters, including Ziva, a survivor of the Holocaust.
—— Tina Jackson , MetroIt takes chutzpah to appropriate such a well-loved classic but Segal parallels the two convention-bound worlds with aplomb… [a] classily composed comedy of manners
—— Emma Hagestadt , IndependentImpresive debut…a poised text
—— Elizabeth Buchan , Sunday TimesWittily observant
—— Caroline Jowett , Daily ExpressHugely enjoyable first novel... The end result falls somewhere between Charlotte Mendelson's When We Were Bad (about a matriarchal Jewish rabbi) and David Nicholl's One Day (with its theme of mismatched love) and is all the more pleasing for that
—— Viv Groskop , ObserverElegant little novel and a real delight to read
—— BookOxygen.com
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