Today is the publication of Eliza Wass’s haunting debut IN THE DARK, IN THE WOODS, which is being published by Quercus Books.
Pre-Publication Praise
“it’s a breathtaking, gut-wrenching coming-of-age saga from all sides. Readers will be swept into the Creswells’ claustrophobic world and ache for them long after it’s set aflame. A harrowing, pulpy page-turner along the compulsive lines of Flowers in the Attic.” Kirkus
“Debut author Wass fashions a haunting family portrait centered on the power of belief…Wass deftly manages the distinct voices and personalities of the many Cresswells. The dark heart of the story, suggestive of incest and sibling torture, will move many readers to question, as Castley does, whether liberation from their “father’s vision” is truly possible.” Publishers Weekly
Castella Cresswell and her five siblings know what it’s like to be different. For years, their world has been confined to their ramshackle family home deep in the woods of upstate New York. They abide by the strict rule of God, whose messages come directly from their father.
Slowly, Castley and her siblings start to test the boundaries of the laws that bind them. But, at school, they’re still the freaks they’ve always been to the outside world. Marked by their plain clothing. Unexplained bruising. Utter isolationfrom their classmates. That is, until Castley is forced to partner with the totally irritating, totally normal George Gray, who offers her a glimpse of a life filled with freedom and choice.
Castley’s world rapidly expands beyond the woods she knows so well and the beliefs she once thought were the only truths. There is a future waiting for her if she can escape her father’s grasp, but Castley refuses to leave her siblings behind. Just as she begins to form a plan, her father makes a chilling announcement: the Cresswells will soon return to their home in heaven. With time running out on all of their lives, Castley must expose the depth of her father’s lies. The forest has buried the truth in darkness for far too long. Castley might be their last hope for salvation.
You can get your copy here
