The propulsive debut novel from one of the most innovative young fiction writers today - a searing and affecting depiction of what redemption can be for a person and for a country in the wake of trauma.
Julianne Pachico Books
Julianne Pachico's narratives delve into the complexities of human relationships and the hidden corners of the psyche. Her style is marked by a hypnotic atmosphere and meticulously crafted characters who draw readers into a vortex of emotion and moral ambiguity. Pachico masterfully employs suspense and nuance, creating stories that linger long after the final page. Her prose explores the darker facets of the human experience with remarkable subtlety and insight.
Lena has always lived in the jungle with Mother. There they look after a holiday home in surroundings that burst with colour and crawl with danger. Lena's only other friend is Isabella, who once visited regularly with her wealthy parents and security drone, Anton. But Isabella and her family haven't been seen in years.Mother is not like other mothers. She gets angry when Lena draws her with a face. When Lena challenges her to portray herself, she paints a tiny yellow dot surrounded by swirling black. She is a bastion of light, she says, against an army of darkness.Outside, rebels are fighting to take over the country. Mother is determined nothing will change inside the security fence, nothing to threaten her bond with Lena, or endanger the family. But there are secrets that need to emerge. How did Lena end up here? And what has happened to the family who no longer visit? What has Mother been planning, and what is gathering around them to change their lives forever?