*WINNER OF THE BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2020*
*ONE OF THE GUARDIAN''S BEST BOOKS OF 2020*
*A NYT CRITICS’ TOP BOOK OF 2020*

''One of the best debut novels I have ever read. Shockingly good ... A classic.'' Max Porter
''Haunting . . . reminded me a lot of Iain Banks. It''s incredible that it''s a debut.'' Douglas Stuart

The sensational Dutch bestseller:
''Exceptional'' (Financial Times)
''Exhilarating'' (Independent)
''Luminous'' (Observer)
''Beautifully wild'' (Guardian)
''An earthy and irreverent new voice, thrillingly uninhibited'' (New York Times)

I asked God if he please couldn’t take my brother Matthies instead of my rabbit. ‘Amen.’

Ten-year-old Jas has a unique way of experiencing her universe: the feeling of udder ointment on her skin as protection against harsh winters; the texture of green warts, like capers, on migrating toads; the sound of ''blush words'' that aren''t in the Bible. But when a tragic accident ruptures the family, her curiosity warps into a vortex of increasingly disturbing fantasies – unlocking a darkness that threatens to derail them all.

A bestselling sensation in the Netherlands, Lucas Rijneveld''s radical debut novel is studded with images of wild, violent beauty: a world of language unlike any other, exquisitely captured in Michele Hutchison''s translation.

''THE MOST TALKED ABOUT DEBUT NOVEL OF 2020 ALREADY'' [Dazed & Confused]
ONE OF VOGUE''S TOP FIVE DEBUTS OF 2020
ONE OF THE OBSERVER''S HIGHLIGHTS OF 2020
ONE OF THE GUARDIAN''S TOP TEN BEST NEW BOOKS IN TRANSLATION