ABOUT
THE BOOK

2020 Longlist

In the north of England, Silvie and her family are living in a forest as if they are ancient Britons.

They have joined an anthropology course for two weeks and are set to re-enact life in simpler times using the tools and knowledge of the Iron Age. They make stew from foraged roots and hunted rabbit. The students are fulfilling their coursework; Silvie’s father is fulfilling his lifelong obsession. He has raised her on stories of early man and their rituals and beliefs. Mixing with the students, Silvie begins to see, hear, and imagine another kind of life.

The ancient Britons built ghost walls of stakes topped with skulls to ward off enemy invaders. When the group builds one of their own, they find a spiritual connection to the past. What comes next but human sacrifice?

About the Author

Sarah Moss was educated at Oxford University and is currently Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Warwick. Her books include the novels Cold Earth, Night Waking, Bodies of Light, and Signs for Lost Children and the memoir Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland.

Librarian’s Comments

Told from the perspective of the 17 year old heroine, this is a tale about abuse, violence and gender inequality woven into a re-enactment of the Iron Age. A short but powerful, gripping novel. Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Switzerland