As a child, Rosemary used to talk all the time. So much so that her parents used to tell her to start in the middle if she wanted to tell a story. Now Rosemary has just started college and she barely talks at all. And she definitely doesn’t talk about her family. So we’re not going to tell you too much either: you’ll have to find out for yourself what it is that makes her unhappy family unlike any other.

Rosemary is now an only child, but she used to have a sister the same age as her, and an older brother. Both are now gone – vanished from her life. But there’s something unique about Rosemary’s sister, Fern. So now she’s telling her story; a looping narrative that begins towards the end, and then goes back to the beginning. Twice.

by Karen Joy Fowler

Shortlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize

More

• Read a free excerpt from the book.
• Karen Joy Fowler talks about her book on Conversations with Richard Fidler.
• Download a guide for book clubs.
• Read a conversation with the author on her website.
• Read reviews on Goodreads.