O Caledonia
Dark
Candid
Repetitive

O Caledonia A Novel

In the tradition of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, a darkly humorous modern classic of Scottish literature about a doomed adolescent growing up in the mid-19th century—featuring a new introduction by Maggie O’Farrell, award-winning author of Hamnet. Janet lies murdered beneath the castle stairs, attired in her mother’s black lace wedding dress, lamented only by her pet jackdaw… ​Author Elspeth Barker masterfully evokes the harsh climate of Scotland in this atmospheric gothic tale that has been compared to the works of the Brontës, Edgar Allan Poe, and Edward Gorey. Immersed in a world of isolation and loneliness, Barker’s ill-fated young heroine Janet turns to literature, nature, and her Aunt Lila, who offers brief flashes of respite in an otherwise foreboding life. People, birds, and beasts move through the background in a tale that is as rich and atmospheric as it is witty and mordant. The family’s motto—Moriens sed Invictus (Dying but Unconquered)—is a well-suited epitaph for wild and courageous Janet, whose fierce determination to remain steadfastly herself makes her one of the most unforgettable protagonists in contemporary literature.
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Reviews

Photo of elizabeth
elizabeth@ekmclaren
5 stars
May 11, 2024
Photo of Q
Q@qontfnns
3 stars
Mar 13, 2024
Photo of britt
britt@bbeenreading
5 stars
Mar 4, 2024
Photo of Beth Bartholomew
Beth Bartholomew@BooksNest
4.5 stars
Feb 17, 2024
Photo of Thaddeus Cortez
Thaddeus Cortez@kilgore
3.5 stars
Feb 9, 2024
Photo of anne caroline
anne caroline@bisouschuu
3 stars
Oct 2, 2023
Photo of Gabe Cortez
Gabe Cortez@gabegortez
4.5 stars
Jun 26, 2023
Photo of Heather Harrington
Heather Harrington@nerdybynatureblog
3 stars
Apr 12, 2023
Photo of Sara Mercedes
Sara Mercedes@saramercedes
5 stars
Jan 23, 2023
Photo of Katherine Marie Elizabeth
Katherine Marie Elizabeth@kat_marel
2 stars
Oct 16, 2022
Dark
Candid
Repetitive
Photo of jenny
jenny@j_jennnyy
4 stars
Jul 12, 2023
Photo of Alex Ramsden
Alex Ramsden@alexera
4 stars
Aug 20, 2022
Photo of Sabine Delorme
Sabine Delorme@7o9
5 stars
Mar 5, 2022
Photo of Moray Lyle McIntosh
Moray Lyle McIntosh@bookish_arcadia
4 stars
Dec 5, 2021

Highlights

Photo of amy
amy @leech
Page 6
Photo of Katherine Marie Elizabeth
Katherine Marie Elizabeth@kat_marel
Page 153