The Land of Decoration

Jan 6, 2026 11:09 PM

Author:Grace McCleen

'An extraordinary and peculiarly haunting novel' Chris Cleave, author of The Other Hand

A RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK

My name is Judith McPherson. I am ten years old. On Monday a miracle happened.

Judith doesn’t have much. The house she shares with her devoutly religious father is full of dusty relics, reminders of the mother Judith never knew. Bullied at school, she finds comfort in creating a miniature world in her bedroom – a world of wonder she calls The Land of Decoration. Perhaps, she thinks, if she makes it snow in The Land of Decoration there will be no school on Monday.

Sure enough, when Judith opens her curtains the next day, the world beyond her window has turned white.

And that's when her troubles begin.

Reviews

An extraordinary and peculiarly haunting novel

—— Chris Cleave , author of The Other Hand

Extraordinary

—— Emma Donoghue, author of Room

Enchanting 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 Year

A tremendously affecting novel, skillfully and arrestingly written, and one that packs a big emotional punch

—— Sunday Times

Both 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 Year

Bursting with tension and tenderness, this novel is a small miracle in itself

—— Helen Brown , Daily Mail

Grace 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 Sunday

Affecting and brilliantly written…a truly awe-inspiring debut

—— Stylist

Surprising, affecting, thoughtful and complex, McCleen's novel grows in power the more time you spend with it

—— Nicola Barr , Observer

Exquisitely written and imagined

—— Woman & Home

A stand-out debut from a new talent ... Inventive and unforgettable

—— Good Housekeeping

An incredibly emotional read

—— Grazia

A thrilling page-turner

—— Alexander Larman , Spectator

This 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 Times

A 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 Times

A distinctive debut that pulls off the use of a child narrator in delightful style

—— We Love This Book

Touching and funny… a compelling and wholly original debut.

—— Marie Claire

Shimmers with little miracles.

—— Peggy Hughes , Scotland on Sunday

This is a promisingly bold book and McCleen is a talent to watch

—— Lucy Scholes , Sunday Times

A 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 Weekly

An original new voice... Haunting and absorbing, this is a joy to read

—— Jackie Carrier , Suffolk Free Press

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