'Disturbingly good… Elena Ferrante-esque' Metro
'Comparable to The Secret History… A new and important author' Financial Times
'Her skill as a writer is beyond question' Sunday Times
It is 1950, and Willa's mother has a new beau. The arrival of his blue-eyed, sun-kissed sons at Willa's summer home signals the end of her childhood. As her entrancing older sister Joan pairs off with Kenneth, nine-year-old Willa is drawn to his solitary younger brother, Patrick.
As they grow up Willa is swept up in Patrick's wicked games and their encounters become charged with sexuality and degradation. But when Willa finally tries to reassert her power, an act of desperation has devastating results.
