Ghost Wall
A chilling tale of ancient rites and personal freedom
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Granta Books
Published:6th May '21
Should be back in stock very soon
This gripping tale follows Silvie, a teenager camping with her father, as she navigates ancient rites and personal freedom in Ghost Wall.
In Ghost Wall, the story unfolds around seventeen-year-old Silvie, who finds herself camping in the hauntingly beautiful yet eerie landscapes of rural Northumberland. Accompanied by her father and a group of archaeologists, they embark on a quest to uncover ancient evidence of human sacrifice. As the expedition progresses, Silvie begins to experience a sense of liberation, forming new friendships with fellow students and exploring her burgeoning sexuality. However, this newfound freedom stands in stark contrast to her increasingly fraught relationship with her overbearing father, creating a palpable tension throughout the narrative.
As the days pass, Silvie's sense of dread intensifies, blurring the lines between the past and present. The chilling rites of ancient times seep into their modern-day existence, and Silvie must confront the ghosts of history that haunt them. The novel skillfully weaves together themes of familial conflict, the search for identity, and the darker aspects of human nature. The tension builds to a gripping climax, leaving readers questioning the boundaries between personal freedom and societal expectations.
Ghost Wall is a powerful exploration of forbidden borders, both physical and emotional. It captures the essence of a young girl's struggle for autonomy against the backdrop of a chilling historical narrative. With its rich imagery and suspenseful storytelling, the novel resonates with readers, inviting them to reflect on their own experiences of growing up and the complexities of family dynamics.
A burnished gem... brilliant * Guardian *
Stunningly good * Observer *
Breathtaking * Metro *
Exquisite...will send shivers down your spine * Financial Times *
An instant classic -- Emma Donoghue
An amazing story ... disturbing and touching at the same time -- Maggie O'Farrell * The Times *
A taut tale alive with intelligence and sensuousness -- ‘Books of the Year’ * Sunday Times *
Moss's star is firmly in the ascendant -- Books of the Year * Guardian *
This divided country's most urgent novelist -- Books of the Year * Spectator *
Compelling -- Books of the Year * Observer *
A worthy match for 3 a.m. disquiet, a book that evokes existential dread, but contains it, beautifully, like a shipwreck in a bottle * New Yorker *
Further proof that Moss is one of our very best contemporary novelists.... Ghost Wall is an intoxicating concoction; inventive, intelligent, and like no other author's work * Independent *
I'm a great fan of Sarah Moss's work; she combines poetic sensibility with great storytelling... Moss is brilliant on atmosphere -- John Boyne * Metro *
I love this book. Ghost Wall requires you to put your life on hold while you finish it. It draws you into its unusual world and, with quiet power and menace, keeps you there until the very last page. Silvie's story isn't one you will ever forget -- Maggie O'Farrell
This book ratcheted the breath out of me so skilfully, that as soon as I'd finished, the only thing I wanted was to read it again -- Jessie Burton, author * The Miniaturist *
Ghost Wall grabs you by the guts and never lets go. Dazzling -- Elizabeth Day
Eerie and gripping * Bookseller *
Stunningly good... Over a staggeringly short distance Moss creates and manipulates an atmosphere of extreme tension... As the story edges towards its climax, Moss appears to collapse layers of history, to render skin and knife and rope identical across millennia * Observer *
As brief and unsettling as a bolt of lightning * Daily Mail *
A coming-of-age story with rare power and startling depth * In the Moment *
A literary star continues to rise... taut, suspenseful * Sunday Telegraph *
The exhilarating originality of Moss's sixth novel makes it impossible to resist... underpinned by a fierce sense of place and precise, poetic prose * Observer *
Compact and vivid * Sunday Times *
Brilliant * Business Day *
Unputdownable * Guardian *
Finely balanced . . . combines a strong sense of the natural world with a growing menace * Mail on Sunday *
Slim and spooky . . . well worth your time * Times *
This slight novel contains so much more than works many times its length...a second reading is essential * New Books *
This is a book you'll want to read again and again . . . Harrowing! * Sunday Post *
Ghost Wall deserves way more accolades than it's getting -- Sarah Crossan * Irish Examiner *
A brilliant exercise in dark suspense that leaves you shuddering at the possibilities...haunting -- The best horror stories written by women to get you ready for Halloween * Stylist *
[A] short, emotionally intense novel, exploring abuse, history and the redemptive power of nature * East Anglian Daily Times *
A brilliant exercise in dark suspense that leaves you shuddering at the possibilities... haunting -- The best horror stories written by women to get you ready for Halloween * Stylist *
An unnerving indictment of misogyny... pitch-perfect -- Best Books of the Year(chosen by Hirsh Sawhney) * TLS *
Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss makes me sad for England, now that Brexit is near...it is true to some idea of England - of landscape, tradition and deep history - which is being clawed back, by these writers, from English nationalism -- Best Books of the Year (chosen by Anne Enright) * Irish Times *
I loved it -- Best books of 2019 (chosen by Bernadine Evaristo) * Observer *
Gosh it's so good, and Moss is the most brilliant writer. She deserves to win all the prizes * i paper *
Breath-taking * The Quietus *
ISBN: 9781783787852
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 9mm
Weight: 120g
160 pages