Heap Earth Upon It - ebook

** A creeping story of sapphic obsession with a delicious mid-twentieth century feel and Gothic undertones, from the author of Sunburn **

When the orphaned O'Leary siblings - Tom, Jack, Anna and Peggy - arrive in the village of Ballycrea in January 1965, they are desperate for a fresh start. However, they offer few, contradicting details about their troubled past and the reason for their sudden move.

Treated with suspicion by most of the locals, the foursome are thrilled when they are offered companionship and support from Bill and Betty Nevan, a wealthy farming couple who live nearby. But for one of the O'Leary's, this new friendship sparks an intense attachment that makes the dynamic dangerous for all...

Heap Earth Upon It revisits the rich, rural Irish setting of Howarth’s critically acclaimed debut novel, Sunburn, at an earlier point in history and is underpinned by her extraordinary gift for rendering claustrophobic relationships and tangled identities. With a narrative that switches perspectives, it is a novel that leaves you wondering who to trust until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Julia Armfield and Shirley Jackson.

PRAISE FOR SUNBURN

‘A tender and heartfelt coming-of-age tale’ – Heat

‘A heartfelt sapphic love story’ – ELLE Canada

‘A compassionate take on the push and pull between what's expected and what is felt’ – Herald

‘A deeply moving, heartfelt love story’ – Daily Mail

‘Lucy tells her story in a true, compelling voice, with an eye for minutiae, quaint apercus, and confidences that make her account moving and convincing’ – SAGA Magazine

‘Tender and poignant... Ideal reading for the last month of summer’ – Diva

'Intense and all-consuming - like the first love it describes - Sunburn transported me to the heart of summer and the heady days of late adolescence. I won't soon forget Chloe Michelle Howarth's addictive, lushly written debut' - Laura Sims