The Lamb

A Novel

By: Lucy Rose

Narrated by: Emma Rydal

DAKOTA JOHNSON TEATIME BOOK CLUB PICK · INSTANT #2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

A FOLK TALE. A HORROR STORY. A LOVE STORY. AN ENCHANTMENT.

""A dark, gorgeous concoction.”—New York Times

“Beautiful, terrifying . . . . Destined to become a classic.""—Washington Post

From an incendiary new talent, a contemporary queer folktale about a mother and daughter living in the woods, for fans of Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood, and Julia Armfield.

Margot and Mama have lived by the forest ever since Margot can remember.

When Margot is not at school, they spend quiet days together in their cottage, waiting for strangers to knock on their door. Strays, Mama calls them. People who have strayed too far from the road. Mama loves the strays. She feeds them wine, keeps them warm. Then she satisfies her burning appetite by picking apart their bodies.

But Mama’s want is stronger than her hunger sometimes, and when a beautiful, white-toothed stray named Eden turns up in the heart of a snowstorm, Margot must confront the shifting dynamics of her family, untangle her own desires, and make her bid for freedom.

With this gothic coming-of-age tale, debut novelist Lucy Rose explores how women swallow their anger, desire, and animal instincts—and wrings the relationship between mother and daughter until blood drips from it.

THE LAMB

All I can say is CANNIBALISM at its finest. To hear the story from the child perspective is wonderful

Longing.

You could feel Little Ones longing for her mother the whole time listening. Her yearning and want to be what her mother wants.

Extraordinarily well-written and narrated

This is not so much of a horror story--though there's plenty of gore--as it is a coming-of-age story of a young girl who is trying to make sense of the world around her. The narrator is pitch-perfect, exuding this matter-of-fact, naive tone while describing horrendous acts through the eyes of the girl called Little One. As the story unfolds and Little One discovers who she is and what she believes in, she also has to face hard truths about her mother.

Ummm...??

To start, if you can't handle gore, skip this one. If I had to describe this book in one word it would be brutal. From start to finish it was just brutal. Full of dread and anxiety in the best way. It's one of the most unique stories I've ever read. I blew though it in one sitting with my mouth hanging open for the majority of the time. The narrator was SPOT ON. Her performance made me fall in love with this poor sweet girl just to rip me to shreds over and over.

so good

kinda reminds me of Kassandra and the Wolf. That kind of vibe. Very good. The characters are amazing.