'Suspenseful . . . it propels the reader deep into the heart of an idiosyncratic family'
OBSERVER
'Stylish, puzzling, mystical'
FINANCIAL TIMES
'Magnificent'
NEW YORK TIMES
'Darkly comedic in parts, yet deeply disturbing and utterly compelling, Fervour is an exceptional debut novel'
JENNIE GODFREY, AUTHOR OF THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS
THE ROSENTHALS ARE NOT LIKE OTHER FAMILIES
Hannah and Eric are devout Jews living in North London with their three children and Eric's father, Yosef, a Holocaust survivor. Intellectually gifted and deeply unconventional, the Rosenthals believe in the literal truth of the Old Testament and in the presence of God (and evil) in daily life.
As Hannah prepares to publish a sensationalist account of Yosef's years in war-torn Europe - unearthing a terrible secret from his time in the camps- Elsie, her perfect daughter, starts to come undone. Hannah begins to suspect that Elsie is losing herself among the shadowy corners of Jewish mysticism, but for Elsie's brother Tovyah, a brilliant but reclusive student at Oxford, the truth is much simpler: his sister is the product of a dysfunctional family, obsessed with empty rituals and unbridled ambition.
But who is right? And how can they stop the darkness from engulfing Elsie forever?
