Robin Barker RN
** 'Birch deftly tells a story spanning several decades, with an intensity that is ... lyrical ... and evokes the period without compromising her complex diachronic concerns' TLS ** 'A rich portrait of a shadowy world of 18th century sailors and smugglers, full of characters both charming and fatally flawed. Fans of Margaret Atwood's ALIAS GRACE will enjoy this engaging and compassionate tale' PSYCHOLOGIES ** 'Birch is a naturally literary writer who can, with a simple image, evoke the deepest emotion' GUARDIAN ** 'It is an intelligent and gripping novel (and gnarly enough to make your knockers curl)' INDEPENDENT ** '[Birch has] a first class voice ... An exciting and evocative fictional version of the life of Margaret Catchpole ... The novel is a triumph of texture and historical detail' SUNDAY TIMES ** 'Birch tells an exciting and surprising tale' THE GLOSS ** 'A rollicking tale ... An intelligent and gripping novel with more than enough fast-paced twists and permutationsot make your hair curl' IRISH EXAMINER