Author:Lindsey Barraclough

1567
Aphra is not a normal child. Found abandoned as a baby among the reeds and rushes, the two outcast witches who raise her in their isolated cottage are never sure if she was born, or just pushed up through the foul, black mud for them to find. Little Aphra’s gifts in the dark craft are clear, even as an infant, but soon even her guardians begin to fear her.
When a violent fire destroys their home, Aphra is left to fend for herself. Years of begging and stealing make her strong, but they also make her bitter, for she is shunned and feared by everyone she meets.
Until she reaches Bryers Guerdon and meets the man they call Long Lankin – the leper. Ostracized and tormented, he is the only person willing to help her.
And together, they plot their revenge.
1962
Four years have passed since the death of Ida Guerdon, and Cora is back in Bryers Guerdon in the manor house her aunt left to her. It is a cold, bitter winter, and the horrifying events of that sweltering summer in 1958 seem long past.
Until Cora’s father arranges for some restoration work to take place at Guerdon Hall, and it seems that something hidden there long ago has been disturbed. The spirit of Aphra Rushes – intent on finishing what she began, four centuries ago.
What an incredibly dark story this is, and how full of thrill. What skills in planting chilling fears in the mind of the reader, just by little touches: a reflection in the window, a chill in the air, a whispering noise. It works so well that at every turn of the story the mind is teased to unleash one’s fears to imagine horrific scenarios . . . A thrilling tale and a most powerful sequel
—— ArmadilloYou must read this book
—— Independent on SundayCoetzee is redrawing the contours of the novel and taking it places that it has rarely been before... Exhilarating
—— The TimesComplex and ultimately moving
—— Sunday TelegraphMesmerising
—— New StatesmanMordant, funny and wise
—— New York TimesA masterpiece
—— Financial TimesNever less than an uncompromisingly cerebral delight, this book offers manifold exaltations...the quietly melancholic meditation on ageing and mortality could break your heart
—— The TimesDo not miss this book
—— Sunday TimesThis is a novel for our times, in content
—— Irish TimesAn international bestseller, this quirky, offbeat novel about books, with its wry humour and wonderful characters, is a delicious read
—— Choice MagazineCharmingly original....sweet, quirky
—— Washington PostThis is a charming novel for book lovers from all walks of life… As you journey through the pages, weaving Little Women, Harry Potter, Jodi Picoult, Jane Austen, Steig Larsson and Proust around the storyline, you’ll find yourself rooting for the beautifully drawn characters, smiling at the wry humour and applauding the ending
—— Candis MagazineCharming and relatable
—— Mel Mitchell , NudgeYou’ll love it
—— Catherine Small , Irish NewsA wonderful tale.
—— Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan , Daily ExpressFunny, fashionable, fabulous - my beach read pick for the summer!
—— Jane GreenThis Years The Devil Wears Prada
—— Vanity FairLethally funny with sass to spare
—— Daily Mail[a] brilliant and claustrophobic novel
—— VICEone to watch out for
—— The IndependentA very impressive, must read for fans of STATION ELEVEN, so unsettling but subtle too. I loved FIND ME…
—— Eva Dolana moving, and frequently funny, exploration of character and of trauma
—— Independentso compelling ... an unforgettable debut
—— Irish Independenta wonderful read
—— Nina Allan , InterzoneLike Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale or Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, van den Berg’s debut novel presents a frighteningly plausible near-future dystopia grounded in human elements… heartbreakingly real and compellingly wrought
—— Library JournalFind Me, her transfixing first novel, is in keeping with her short stories thematically, and yet, in its deep soundings, it’s a commanding departure. . . Van den Berg’s enveloping novel of a plague and a seeker in an endangered world reveals what it feels like to grow up unwanted and unknown in a civilization hell-bent on self-destruction. It is also a beautifully strange, sad, and provocative inquiry into our failure to love, cherish, and protect. But ultimately, Find Me is a delving story of courage, persistence, and hope
—— BooklistIn Find Me, van den Berg depicts a life slowly coming into focus—it’s blurry and impressionistic at times, sometimes deliriously scattered. But out of the fog of memory and the haze of drugs emerges a sense of clarity that’s deep and moving and real
—— The Boston GlobeFrom this memorable novel's eerie first paragraph to its enigmatic ending, Laura van den Berg has invented something beautiful indeed
—— LA TimesThis is one of my favorite novels of 2015, and we’re not even IN 2015 yet . . .The language is beautiful, spare, and carefully crafted, and the characters are fully realized and unforgettable. There is tension and redemption and insight and even humor in these pages, and they make for a really incredible read
—— BookriotSurreal adventures blend with a reflective and sad sensibility in van den Berg’s lyrical debut novel
—— Library JournalBoth novels offer precision of language and metaphor and scene even as what is being constructed feels messy, chaotic, sad, hopeless... Both orphaned and alone in the world, both so completely real, both telling a story that feels important and exciting to read. I feel lucky to have stumbled upon these books this year, and challenged by them to be better
—— The MillionsThis debut novel by acclaimed short story writer van den Berg tends to lean much closer to the realms of literary fiction with its complex psychology. . . Van den Berg's writing is curiously beautiful
—— Kirkusa strange beauty in this apocalyptic tale
—— Psychologies






