The Book of Guilt

A compelling story that raises profound questions not only about the power of the state to dehumanise parts of our society but about our complicity in that power . . . The Book of Guilt is written with insight and brio, deftly balancing darkness and light, depth and pace * Guardian *
Compelling . . . brilliantly evokes a dystopian England.Chidgey's luxurious and unhurried prose stokes tension in a compulsive thriller with mamcabre hints at historical cases of scandalous cover-ups, unprincipled drug trials, eugenics, ethnic cleansing and genetic experimentation . . . Above all the novel is a powerful recreation of an off-kilter Britain at the end of the 1970s . . . it feels scarily momentous * Observer *
[A] haunting blend of psychological fable, gothic parable, and slow-burn thriller . . . Chidgey writes with surgical precision and emotional weight . . . The result is a novel of conscience and consequence: quietly devastating, fiercely intelligent and unforgettable * Irish Times *
Chidgey conjures a vivid and atmospheric alternative version of Britain in the 1970s. Those who came of age in the era of Spirographs and Stickle Bricks will recognise taspects of this brilliant novel's world . . . The author is clearly interested in nature and nurture, otherness and belonging, and keeps the tension high throughout. If you're anything like me, you will race through this book in a single, breathless sitting * Literary Review *
Shocking . . . will make you gasp * Good Housekeeping *
This is a compelling and terrifying novel whose alternative history engages chillingly with current possibilities. No one writes children better than Chidgey. She exactly gets their experimental cruelty and related innocence as they attempt to piece their world together -- Elizabeth Cook, author of LUX
I raced through Catherine Chidgey's latest in awe of her trademark gifts: propulsive plotting, psychological acuity, and a knack for the uncanny. But it's the novel's moral questions that linger long after reading - about legacy and history, science and fate - as explored through the voices of children whom society has deemed expendable. The Book of Knowledge literally infiltrated my dreams, as it will yours -- Tania James, author of LOOT
Original, dark, clever and compelling -- Mary Ann Sieghart, author of THE AUTHORITY GAP
'A future classic from one of the most intriguing, inventive and compelling writers of our time. What a book . . . jaw-droppingly breathtaking' * Radio NZ *
Eloquent prose, rich characterizations, and knotty concepts - an emotional and intellectual tour de force . . . Chidgey forces readers to delve into moral questions concerning science, pragmatism, personal responsibility, and institutional evil. Then there's the novel's unavoidable, disquieting contemplation of just who is given equal right in any given society (including ours) * Kirkus Starred Review *
What a book! Tense, inventive, mysterious and moving, The Book of Guilt poses big questions in the context of a rocketing plot. I loved it completely -- Karen Joy Fowler, author of BOOTH
An imaginative tour de force . . . wonderfully chilling. As ever with Ms Chidgey there are serious issues rumbling beneath, for instance the ethics of scientific research and the arbitrary assumptions about who might and might not possess a soul * Irish Examiner *
I was gripped by this dystopic tale of triplets William, Lawrence and Vincent, brought up in a dilapidated institutional home by a group of 'Mothers', treated with a mysterious medicine and forbidden access to the outside world. The uncannily familiar 1970s setting is conjured with uneasy menace * Financial Times, Best Summer Audio Books *