My daughter is a liar. A liar, liar, liar. And I’m starting to see where she gets it from.
When Rosalind’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Stephanie, ran away with her teacher, this ordinary family became something it had never asked to be. Their lives held up to scrutiny in the centre of a major police investigation, the Simms were headline news while Stephanie was missing with a man who was risking everything.
Now, six years on, Ros takes a call that will change their lives all over again. He’s going to be released from prison. Years too early. In eleven days’ time.
As Temperley’s release creeps ever closer, Ros is forced to confront the events that led them here, back to a place she thought she’d left behind, to questions she didn’t want to answer. Why did she do it? Where does the blame lie? What happens next?
When Rosalind’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Stephanie, ran away with her teacher, this ordinary family became something it had never asked to be. Their lives held up to scrutiny in the centre of a major police investigation, the Simms were headline news while Stephanie was missing with a man who was risking everything.
Now, six years on, Ros takes a call that will change their lives all over again. He’s going to be released from prison. Years too early. In eleven days’ time.
As Temperley’s release creeps ever closer, Ros is forced to confront the events that led them here, back to a place she thought she’d left behind, to questions she didn’t want to answer. Why did she do it? Where does the blame lie? What happens next?
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Reviews
Eva Holland's gripping debut is unputdownable.
A story to resonate with all parents.
When Stephanie, 15, ran off with her teacher, her mum Rosalind and family were subject to an investigation and public scrutiny. Six years on, the teacher's coming out of prison and Rosalind has to face unanswered questions.
FRESH as today's headlines, Holland's sharp debut focuses on Rosalind Simm, the mother of 15-year-old Stephanie who ran away with her school geography teacher six years ago.
Tense and emotionally charged with an uncomfortably ominous atmosphere, this startling novel leads us through the complex relationship between a mother and daughter.
Holland builds a fascinating story around a compelling subject. And the ending? It certainly leaves its mark. A great debut - Holland is definitely one to watch.