Jungle House

In the jungle, Lena lives with Mother, who is unlike other mothers and is a bastion of light against an army of darkness. Outside, rebels are fighting to take over the country, but Mother is determined to keep things the same inside the security fence. However, secrets need to emerge, and what Mother has been planning will change their lives forever.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 02 November 2023
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

A NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023

Stylish, beautiful, and strange

Jessie Greengrass

As featured on BBC Open Book:

Poses questions about whether we can love AI and whether AI could love us.

I couldn't help but develop a soft spot for Mother.

-- Johny Pitts

Lena has always lived in the jungle with Mother. There they look after a holiday home in surroundings that burst with colour and crawl with danger.

Lena's only other friend is Isabella, who once visited regularly with her wealthy parents and security drone, Anton.

But Isabella and her family haven't been seen in years.

Mother is not like other mothers. She gets angry when Lena draws her with a face.

When Lena challenges her to portray herself, she paints a tiny yellow dot surrounded by swirling black.

She is a bastion of light, she says, against an army of darkness.

Outside, rebels are fighting to take over the country.

Mother is determined nothing will change inside the security fence, nothing to threaten her bond with Lena, or endanger the family.

But there are secrets that need to emerge.

How did Lena end up here? And what has happened to the family who no longer visit? What has Mother been planning, and what is gathering around them to change their lives forever?

Weight: 320g
Dimension: 143 x 226 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800817616
Edition number: Main