by KathyPage (Author)
A young girl grows up an outsider, then becomes drawn into the life of a local family with some curious beliefs. They treat her as a daughter and take her away with them to a religious holiday camp. It is here that she is introduced to the Finnish Envallist branch of Protestantism and here that events start to take a terrible turn. Rejected by some of the sectarians for her non-commitment to their beliefs, Natalie creates a rift in the group which culminates in a climactic scene where she is gravely injured. Later, as an adult in Finland, she tries to make sense of what happened and to unlock the secret origins of Envallism itself.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
Edition: New edition
Publisher: Phoenix
Published: 02 Jan 2003
ISBN 10: 0753816733
ISBN 13: 9780753816738
Book Overview: Longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction A powerful and compelling literary novel similar in style to Helen Dunmore or Pat Barker Highly promotable, energetic and articulate author 'Her lucid, descriptive prose unearths the psychology of the type of people who must surely be the most significant threat to our civilisation. Page's novel conveys that sense of menace with brilliant and disturbing urgency' The Times 'This novel, told throughout in a minor, melancholy key, is not a comfortable read but it is skilfully written and a most impressive achievement' Sunday Telegraph 'Page has a great gift for evoking the Finnish landscape and for the subtle creation of character, as well as for sustaining tension till the horrific denouement' Scotland on Sunday