The heatwave of 1976. Following the accidental drowning of her sister,
sixteen-year-old Nif and her family move to a small village on the Welsh
borders to escape their grief. But rural seclusion doesn't bring any
relief. As her family unravels, Nif begins to put together her own form
of witchcraft - collecting talismans from the sun-starved land. That is,
until she meets Mally, a teen boy who takes a keen interest in her, and
has his own secret rites to divulge.
Reminiscent of the suspense of Shirley Jackson and soaked in the
folkhorror of English heritage, Water Shall Refuse Them is an
atmospheric coming-of-age novel and a thrilling debut.