The Unbroken Beauty of Rosalind Bone

(Hardback)

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For readers of Claire Keegan, Max Porter and Sarah Moss- An exquisitely observed slice-of-life novella, where secrets and lies bubble under the surface as a unique cast of characters give their version of the truth about life in a rural Welsh village still haunted by the disappearance of a young woman 20 years ago. 'Beautiful, incredibly painterly and full of breathtaking details. A devastating portrait of a particular place, which draws you in with its brutality and beauty' CARYL LEWIS, author of DRIFT 'Incredibly assured, carefully observed, full of heart. A quietly devastating read which lingers long after the final page' JAN CARSON _____________ Tucked into the Welsh valleys and encircled by silver birch and pine, the village of Cwmcysgod may appear a quiet, sleepy sort of place. But beneath the surface, tensions simmer, hearts ache, and painful truths threaten to emerge. Sixteen-year-old Catrin Bone knows only what she has been told. Now, she is beginning to question her small world, and a version of the past that seems to entrap and embitter her reclusive mother, Mary. Mary had a sister once, a girl of unparalleled beauty. Why did she disappear from the village in a shroud of shame all those years ago - and where is she now Meanwhile the Clements brothers, skint and all out of hope, run rampant across the hills and lanes. And old Dai Bevel, whose frailty masks a dark history, dreams of a girl he used to know... The sins of the past are approaching, for it takes a village- to raise a child, to bring down a woman, to hide something monstrous and to look the other way. In this tender, sly, exquisitely wrought novella, a unique cast of characters give voice to their versions of the truth. But it is the story of Rosalind Bone, of her strength and of all that she has endured, that rises above the rest, shimmering with hope and possibility...

Reviews

Beautiful, incredibly painterly and full of breathtaking details. It is simultaneously dreamlike and nightmarish, funny and heartbreaking. A devastating portrait of a particular place, which draws you in with its brutality and beauty. * Caryl Lewis, author of DRIFT *
An incredibly assured debut, carefully observed, sparsely written yet full of heart. A quietly devastating read which lingers long after the final page * Jan Carson, author of THE RAPTURES *

Author Bio

Alex McCarthy was born in Cardiff and grew up in South Wales. An alumna of London Contemporary Dance School, she worked as a dancer and choreographer for a number of years on stage, TV and film. In 2017, following a career change and several years of writing, Alex began to write this novel. She is mother to a daughter and stepdaughter, and lives in Wales.