Book description
An electrifying story of passion, connection and transformation from 'a writer of show-stopping genius' (Guardian).
'Dark and brilliant.' SARAH MOSS
'A masterpiece.' DAISY JOHNSON
'Extraordinary.' SARAH PERRY
'Searing... Sarah Hall's best work yet.' JON McGREGOR
You were the last one here before I closed the door of Burntcoat, before we…
Why read it?
1 author picked Burntcoat as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Burntcoat is the name of the home, a converted warehouse, of sculptor Edith Harkness’s home, and also of a Japanese technique she’s mastered in which wood is almost destroyed by fire, then charcoal is scraped off to reveal the beauty of the grain beneath.
The story is set in a pandemic, of a disease more rampant and deadly than the recent COVID-19, and Edith is working on a monumental piece to commemorate those lost. Her character blends defiance and acceptance; her story of intense physical love and searing loss, moving back and forth in time, is told with measured calmness.…
From Linda's list on sculptors real or fictional past and present.
If you love Burntcoat...
Astral Travel
Jo Jackson believes she has put behind her difficult childhood with a charismatic but sometimes violent father. One day, however, out of the blue, she is moved to write about him. Immediately she comes unstuck, face to face with things that don't add up, and a growing sense of mystery…
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