A compelling debut by a new young British writer in the tradition of Audrey Niffenegger and Neil Gaiman, on the imperceptible borderlines of fantasy and fable. On the run from a family with a bucketful of dark secrets, the younger son of an English Earl embarks for the New World where with the help of an outlaw's daughter and a native medicine man he ventures into the jungle and the untamed southern wilderness. Simultaneously a tale of adventure, a love story, an unveiling of quiet phantasmagoria and horrors and a coming of age story, this grips and enchants and you never want it to end. A seductive new voice.
Arthur Hallingham is the youngest son of an English earl. He’s on the run from his former life – from a family where painful, half-understood secrets lurk.
Arthur travels on a slave ship to the coast of Virginia. Amidst the teeming squalor and vaulting ambitions of the New World, he encounters Flora, the tough daughter of an outlaw, and Shelo, a native medicine man with mysterious powers who seems to have a plan for him.
The three set off on a journey through the thick forests and along the wide rivers of the lush southern wilderness. As they near their destination, Shelo’s terrible and destructive purpose is gradually revealed.
This is a rich, beautiful and compelling novel that will appeal to fans of Audrey Niffenegger, Erin Morgenstern and Neil Gaiman, by a young debut author destined for literary stardom.
S. E. Lister grew up in Gloucestershire, and studied Creative Writing at Warwick University. She has been reading stories since she was old enough to pick up a book, and writing them almost as long. Alongside her creative writing, she has written for various magazines and websites about philosophy and film. She loves vintage clothes, art-house cinemas and growing her own courgettes.