The Infamous Gilberts

Angela Tomaski

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Paperback

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English

Fig Tree
20 January 2026

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

A dancingly captivating, mischievous and heartbreaking debut about a dysfunctional family, in a crumbling Gothic mansion spanning the decades of the Twentieth Century.

'We shall be forgotten.' he said. 'We shall be lost. They will scrub us away like a set of dirty fingerprints on a plastic kettle.'

The crumbling Gothic mansion of Thornwalk, long-term home of the Gilbert family, is being handed over to a chain of luxury 'historic' hotels. Millions will be spent in its restoration. But for every 'improvement', what will be lost? What value can there possibly be in a threadbare carpet, a tarnished spoon and a thousand empty jam jars?

Before the hotel people arrive, with their clipboards and their skips and their bottles of bleach, Maximus, loyal guardian of the Gilberts' legacy, invites us on a final tour of the once-stately home, where each room holds a secret. From the bolt on the blue room door to the tiny dents in the bars at the nursery window ... these are the keys that will unlock the lives of the five fatherless Gilbert children.

A frustrated romantic, a stubborn traditionalist, a dreamer, a diva and an explorer- The Infamous Gilberts will be cast adrift on the irresistible tides of the twentieth century, buoyed by love, buffeted by loss, and tangled together in an unputdownable story where the lines between eccentricity and madness, cruelty and love become hilariously, heartbreakingly blurred.

By: Angela Tomaski
Imprint: Fig Tree
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 40mm
Weight: 700g
ISBN: 9780241757581
ISBN 10: 0241757584
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 20 January 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Angela Tomaski was born in Oxford and raised in Somerset with her four brothers and sisters. She has had a variety of different jobs, including as a waitress, cleaner, English teacher and activity coordinator in a care home. She has a daughter and two grandsons, and now lives in rural Dorset.

Reviews for The Infamous Gilberts

Eccentric and deliciously addictive, The Infamous Gilberts is a gorgeous portrayal of a family caught in a privileged world that no longer exists. Moments of heartbreaking pathos come hot on the heels of moments of riotous fun, but it’s the bewilderment of a family struggling to make their peace with loss that will stay with me the longest * Rachel Joyce * Completely captivating: I absolutely loved it. A compelling, ingenious, mischievous blend of tragedy, comedy and intrigue * Nina Stibbe * Angela Tomaski's exquisite book is the best advertisement yet for devoting twenty years to the writing of a first novel. It's structurally well crafted, narratively ambitious and beautifully written. Its characters, inimitable, at once, vivid, poignant, infuriating, hilarious and tragic. It's the most rewarding and beautiful novel I've read in ages. A first novel to treasure and inspire * Barbara Trapido * Exquisite, unsettling and utterly unique * Jessica Stanley, author of Consider Yourself Kissed *