Exploring life in a restrictively religious home through the eyes of ten-year-old Jas, Rijneveld's International Booker Prize-winning debut carries its heavy themes with confidence, in wildly beautiful prose.
Winner of the International Booker Prize 2020
I asked God if he please couldn't take my brother Matthies instead of my rabbit. 'Amen.'
Ten-year-old Jas has a unique way of experiencing her universe: the feeling of udder ointment on her skin as protection against harsh winters; the texture of green warts, like capers, on migrating toads; the sound of 'blush words' that aren't in the Bible. But when a tragic accident ruptures the family, her curiosity warps into a vortex of increasingly disturbing fantasies - unlocking a darkness that threatens to derail them all.
A bestselling sensation in the Netherlands, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld's radical debut novel is studded with images of wild, violent beauty: a world of language unlike any other.
Publisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN: 9780571349371
Number of pages: 288
Weight: 240 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 17 mm
Edition: Main
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
No spoilers, but I have included some 'trigger warnings' in case there are subjects people really don't want...
More
This book is an odd one, and I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone as there are some extremely disturbing and difficult to read passages. That being said, the story itself – 10 year old protagonist Jas coming to terms... More
Thanks to Faber and Faber Ltd and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This powerful, compelling novel, is a tour de force of the imagination of its wonderous author, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld....
More
Please sign in to write a review
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?
