Tell Me What I Am: 'Beautiful, haunting.' LOUISE KENNEDY

A Crooked Tree is a novel by Una Mannion that tells the story of two women, Deena Garvey and her sister, who are torn apart by a terrible crime. Over fourteen years, they slowly begin to unearth the secrets and lies at the heart of their family and the history of power and control that has shaped them. The book is a powerful portrait of the umbilical bond between mother and child and the subtle dark arts of male coercion and abuse.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 01 June 2023
Publisher: Faber & Faber

Two women, torn apart by a terrible crime, must find a way back to each other. When Deena Garvey disappears in 2004, she leaves behind a daughter and a sister. Deena's daughter grows up in the country, learning how to hunt, seed the garden, and avoid making her father angry. Never to ask about her absent mother. Deena's sister stays stuck in the city, getting desperate. She knows the man responsible for her sister's disappearance, but she can't prove it. Not yet. Over fourteen years, four hundred miles apart, these two women slowly begin to unearth the secrets and lies at the heart of their family, and the history of power and control that has shaped them both in such different ways. But can they reach each other in time? And will the truth finally answer the question of their lives: what really happened to Deena Garvey?

Haunting and deeply moving. Observer. Propulsive and richly atmospheric. Irish Independent. An engrossing, deftly-told story with an aching secret at its heart, this is a profoundly moving novel of family and women standing strong together. Lisa Ballantyne. Sharp, poignant, thrilling and moving. Chris Whitaker. Compelling. Mannion writes with a lyrical economy that stands out, and always shows a deep empathy for her well-drawn characters. Irish Examiner. A wrenching portrait of the umbilical bond between mother and child and, more powerfully still, an icily persuasive account of the subtle dark arts of male coercion and abuse. Daily Mail. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING: 'Beautifully written and utterly compelling. I loved it.' Liz Nugent. 'A sure-footed and emotionally complex novel. Absorbing.' Irish Times. 'I loved it.'

Weight: 542g
Dimension: 163 x 240 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780571358779
Edition number: Main