From the New York Times best-selling author of Hamnet and The
Marriage Portrait comes a gothic, intricate tale of family secrets,
lost lives, and the freedom brought by truth.
"I found this actually unputdownable . . . Reminiscent of classic
writers like Rebecca West and Daphne du Maurier."--Ali Smith, author
of Autumn
In the middle of tending to the everyday business at her
vintage-clothing shop and sidestepping her married boyfriend's attempts
at commitment, Iris Lockhart receives a stunning phone call: Her
great-aunt Esme, whom she never knew existed, is being released from
Cauldstone Hospital--where she has been locked away for more than
sixty-one years.
Iris's grandmother Kitty always claimed to be an only child. But Esme's
papers prove she is Kitty's sister, and Iris can see the shadow of her
dead father in Esme's face.
Esme has been labeled harmless--sane enough to coexist with the rest of
the world. But she's still basically a stranger, a family member never
mentioned by the family, and one who is sure to bring life-altering
secrets with her when she leaves the ward. If Iris takes her in, what
dangerous truths might she inherit?
"Think Kate Chopin's The Awakening, Charlotte Gilman's 'The Yellow
Wallpaper' or Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea . . . It's a breathtaking,
heart-breaking creation."--The Washington Post Book World
