The Gifts
The award-winning historical novel about women who sprout wings - for fans of THE BINDING and THE MERMAID AND MRS HANCOCK
Published on 1. September 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
512 pages
978-1-78658-075-7 (ISBN)
Description
'Haunting, thrilling, wonderful. I loved it' Stacey Halls, bestselling author of The Familiars
'Fierce and touching' Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne
'Your next obsession. . . Unique and captivating' Cosmopolitan
Discover the extraordinary, luminous novel that everyone is talking about, perfect for fans of The Binding, The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock and The Doll Factory
It will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are . . .
October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders.
Meanwhile, when rumours of a 'fallen angel' cause a frenzy across London, a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession, one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger . . .
THE GIFTS is the astonishing debut adult novel from the lauded author of BEARMOUTH. A gripping and ambitious book told through five different perspectives and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London, it explores science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition.
'A boldly feminist novel that lingers long after the last page' Susan Stokes Chapman, Sunday Times bestselling author of Pandora
'Remarkable . . . for fans of fantasy-inflected historicals such as The Essex Serpent' Publishers Weekly STARRED review
'Imaginative, extraordinary . . . Brimming with historical detail and beautifully written, the soulful prose soars' Daily Express
'A stirring tale of female empowerment, full of vivid imagery and evocative settings' Observer
'Extraordinary . . . For any who loved The Essex Serpent, this is one that will sing to your soul' Jackie Morris, The Lost Words
'Bewitching . . . addictive' Essie Fox
'I loved The Gifts. Brilliant storytelling, magical realism, historical fiction that discusses feminism, religion, art and motherhood' Kate Sawyer, Costa shortlisted author of The Stranding
'I devoured The Gifts, eager to find out the fate of its wonderfully drawn characters . . A real gem' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City
'A stunning book . . . Captivating and thrilling. Hyder's writing really is magnificent. I was drawn inexorably into the narrative and completely bewitched by it. I didn't so much read this book as live it with the characters' My Weekly
'A glorious, evocative read, ripe for a movie adaptation. Victorian girl power? You bet' Apple Books
'In this glorious novel both women and words take flight. Don't miss it' Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily
DON'T MISS LIZ HYDER'S EXTRAORDINARY NEW NOVEL THE ILLUSIONS OUT NOW!
'Fierce and touching' Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne
'Your next obsession. . . Unique and captivating' Cosmopolitan
Discover the extraordinary, luminous novel that everyone is talking about, perfect for fans of The Binding, The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock and The Doll Factory
It will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are . . .
October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders.
Meanwhile, when rumours of a 'fallen angel' cause a frenzy across London, a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession, one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger . . .
THE GIFTS is the astonishing debut adult novel from the lauded author of BEARMOUTH. A gripping and ambitious book told through five different perspectives and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London, it explores science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition.
'A boldly feminist novel that lingers long after the last page' Susan Stokes Chapman, Sunday Times bestselling author of Pandora
'Remarkable . . . for fans of fantasy-inflected historicals such as The Essex Serpent' Publishers Weekly STARRED review
'Imaginative, extraordinary . . . Brimming with historical detail and beautifully written, the soulful prose soars' Daily Express
'A stirring tale of female empowerment, full of vivid imagery and evocative settings' Observer
'Extraordinary . . . For any who loved The Essex Serpent, this is one that will sing to your soul' Jackie Morris, The Lost Words
'Bewitching . . . addictive' Essie Fox
'I loved The Gifts. Brilliant storytelling, magical realism, historical fiction that discusses feminism, religion, art and motherhood' Kate Sawyer, Costa shortlisted author of The Stranding
'I devoured The Gifts, eager to find out the fate of its wonderfully drawn characters . . A real gem' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City
'A stunning book . . . Captivating and thrilling. Hyder's writing really is magnificent. I was drawn inexorably into the narrative and completely bewitched by it. I didn't so much read this book as live it with the characters' My Weekly
'A glorious, evocative read, ripe for a movie adaptation. Victorian girl power? You bet' Apple Books
'In this glorious novel both women and words take flight. Don't miss it' Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily
DON'T MISS LIZ HYDER'S EXTRAORDINARY NEW NOVEL THE ILLUSIONS OUT NOW!
Reviews / Votes
Haunting, thrilling, wonderful. I loved it. * Stacey Halls * Liz Hyder won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for the brilliantly original Bearmouth, and The Gifts is just as impressive - an imaginative, extraordinary flight of fancy firmly grounded in the grim realities of Victorian England. Brimming with historical detail and beautifully written, the soulful prose soars. It's an insightful, mysterious read celebrating female friendship and solidarity. * Daily Express * Fierce and touching... a beautiful, riveting novel suffused with luminous magic against the grimy backdrop of 19th century London. Wild female power clashes with dark scientific ambition in this compelling story. * Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne * An extraordinary weaving together of the lives of four women. One is an artist who loves the names of colours, another a botanist who loves the shapes of plants. One of its fascinations is the blend of myth and magic, city and country, urban and wild. There are threads that spin a yarn and make this book a page turning success. For any who loved The Essex Serpent, this is one that will sing to your soul. For myself, I found it to be a dream of a book, one that I could lose myself in and escape from these curious times we live in. There's a darkness to it also, but also a fierce light, passion. It is utterly absorbing. * Jackie Morris, The Lost Words * A stirring tale of female empowerment, full of vivid imagery and evocative settings. The Gifts' scope is impressive and it's sure to win Hyder new fans and, quite possibly, another film deal. * Observer * I devoured The Gifts, eager to find out the fate of its wonderfully drawn characters. A wonderful, atmospheric book that immersed me in the dirty streets of nineteenth century London and swept me away to the hills of Shropshire. A real gem. * Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City * From the moment the Thames gave up its astonishing secret, I was transfixed by this fantastical tale of winged women and their quest for liberation in the face of science turned into dark obsession. A deliciously intriguing mix of moral bankruptcy and resilience, with a captivating female friendship at its heart. * Sonia Velton * An extraordinary novel-resonant, propulsive, and utterly absorbing. Once I'd picked it up, I truly couldn't put it down-I didn't want to leave Liz Hyder's vividly realised world, and I cannot wait to follow wherever she takes us next. * Katie Lowe, author of The Furies * Bewitching. Lovers of Neo-Victorian fiction will be spellbound by this tale, taking flight on the wings of Hyder's addictive words. * Essie Fox * I loved The Gifts. Brilliant storytelling, magical realism, historical fiction that discusses feminism, religion, art and motherhood. Shades of Angela Carter and fans of Elizabeth MacNeal will enjoy it too. * Kate Sawyer, author of The Stranding *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bonnier Books Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
372 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78658-075-7 (9781786580757)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Liz Hyder has been making up stories for
as long she can remember. She has a BA
in drama from the University of Bristol
and, in early 2018, won the Bridge Award/
Moniack Mhor Emerging Writer Award.
Bearmouth, her debut young adult novel,
won a Waterstones Children's Book Prize,
the Branford Boase Award and was chosen
as the Children's Book of the Year by The
Times. Originally from London, she now
lives in South Shropshire. The Gifts is her
debut adult novel.
as long she can remember. She has a BA
in drama from the University of Bristol
and, in early 2018, won the Bridge Award/
Moniack Mhor Emerging Writer Award.
Bearmouth, her debut young adult novel,
won a Waterstones Children's Book Prize,
the Branford Boase Award and was chosen
as the Children's Book of the Year by The
Times. Originally from London, she now
lives in South Shropshire. The Gifts is her
debut adult novel.