The Girls of Summer: The addictive and thought-provoking book club debut

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Description

The explosive and conversation-starting debut from a stunning new talent, exploring themes of consent and power, abuse and victimhood, memory and how victims can reclaim their voices. The last time Rachel saw the girls, they were teenagers island-hopping in Greece- making friends, finding love. One golden summer. Now in her thirties, she's never been able to forget the man she fell in love with back then. Even though he is almost twenty years older than her. Even though she hasn't seen him since and she's now married to someone else. And when she crosses paths with one of the girls, she's confronted with a truth that's much darker than she ever realized. What really happened to them all that summer What if everything she remembers is a lie The Girls of Summer is a compulsive and searching exploration of the complicated nature of memory and trauma, power and consent, victimhood and shame.

Reviews

It's been a long time since I've read such a compelling debut. Beautifully written, transportive, and thought-provoking, THE GIRLS OF SUMMER sizzles with suspense. It's the book I'll be recommending that all my girlfriends pack for their holidays this summer * Lucy Clarke, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE CASTAWAYS *
This startling debut...packs an incredible punch. The dark undertow of an idyllic summer and the lies girls are told and tell themselves are captured with stark, affecting honesty and evocative prose * The Times *
This debut should be on every summer reading list... THE GIRLS OF SUMMER explores consent, the power discrepancies in relationships, control, and the intoxication of lust in a gripping read that is visceral and raw. Buy it * Glamour *
Reminiscent of HBO's hit The White Lotus... The obvious read-alike is My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell, and the plot-driven tension will appeal to fans of psychological suspense * Booklist *
A mesmerising, unsettling and gripping debut * Catherine Ryan Howard, bestselling author of RUN TIME *

Author Bio

Katie Bishop is a writer and journalist based in the UK. She grew up in the Midlands before moving to Oxford to work in publishing in her early twenties. Whilst working as an assistant editor she started writing articles in her spare time, going on to be published in the New York Times, Guardian, Independent and Vogue. Katie started writing The Girls of Summer during the first UK COVID lockdown, after becoming increasingly interested in stories emerging from the #MeToo movement. The novel is inspired by her own experiences of backpacking, and by her interest in how our personal narratives can be reshaped and understood in light of cultural and social changes. In 2020, Katie moved back to the Midlands, and now lives in Birmingham with her partner. She is a full-time writer.