From the Booker-nominated author of The Water Cure – an eerie historical mystery about desire, memory and madness
Audacious and mesmerising, Cursed Bread is a darkly erotic tale of a town gripped by madness, envy like poison in the blood, and desire that burns and consumes.
Elodie is the baker’s wife- plain and unremarkable but desperate to escape her dull, small-town life. One day a charismatic new couple appear in the neighbourhood and Elodie quickly falls under their spell. All summer long she stalks them through the shining streets- inviting herself into their home, eavesdropping on their conversations, longing to possess them.
Meanwhile, beneath the tranquil surface of daily life, strange things are happening. The animals expire in the fields, ghosts are sighted after dark, the local children grow erratic and violent. A dark intoxication is spreading through the town, and when Elodie finally understands her role in it, it will be too late to stop.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Publication date: 09/04/2024
Cursed Bread
by Sophie Mackintosh
Review by Bel
This dark little novel is charged with incredible energy, sensuous prose and an erotic sort of madness that held me captive. The line between Elodie’s reality and imaginings is an intriguingly slippery one. Her desire is so consuming it skews her memory and the way she sees the world, so we hungrily piece together the clues to the strange events in this suffocating town. A compelling read that’s been longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2023. Atwood fans will love it especially!
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