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The Repentants

Kate Foster

$34.99

Paperback

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English
MANTLE
26 May 2026
The chilling tale of two women, forever bonded in their exile to the world's most desolate prison . . .

Inspired by the real-life, unsuccessful attempt by Scottish landowners to annex Iceland for the British Empire, The Repentants is a sensational work of historical fiction from the Women's Prize longlisted author of The Maiden, Kate Foster.

St Monans, Fife, Scotland 1770. Two women, a sabbath breacher and a flirt, are forced to publicly repent in church for their sins. Wealthy housewife Florrie and salt serf Eliza form a quick and unusual bond over their mutual shame. So when Florrie's husband Jonny decides she must accompany him to Ísafjörður, Iceland, where he is to open a new salt mine, Florrie insists Eliza comes as her maid.

Isolated and fearful, surrounded by ice and darkness, the two women grow ever closer. And that's when Jonny reveals the sinister truth - he plans to leave Florrie in Iceland, imprisoned and banished in order to restore his own fragile reputation back home.

Now Florrie must try to escape - whatever it takes. But when she turns to Eliza for support, she realizes nothing is as it seems in this strange and hostile land . . .

Praise for Kate Foster:

'Tense, thrilling . . . with a decidedly feminist slant' - Daily Mail

'Masterful . . . I literally didn't look up from the first page to the last' - Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal

'Enthralling, compelling and at times chilling. Foster transports the reader back in time, bringing alive the forgotten and hidden voices of women in the past' - D. V. Bishop, author of City of Vengeance
By:  
Imprint:   MANTLE
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 234mm,  Width: 153mm, 
ISBN:   9781035052110
ISBN 10:   1035052113
Pages:   336
Publication Date:  
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Kate Foster has been a national newspaper journalist for over twenty years. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. Her previous novels include The Maiden, which won the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year in 2023 and was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2024, The King's Witches, and The Mourning Necklace. The Repentants is her fourth novel. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.

Reviews for The Repentants

Kate Foster can pluck a dark story from the depths of history and bring it to vivid life before your eyes. The Mourning Necklace is her best yet . . . Foster is a class act and an author who, if you haven't read her yet, what are you waiting for? -- Janice Hallett, bestselling author of <i>The Appeal</i>, on <i>The Mourning Necklace</i> What a fabulous read . . . Kate excels at bringing the forgotten women of history back to life and giving them the attention they deserve -- Claire Evans, author of <i>The Fourteenth Letter</i>, on <i>The Mourning Necklace</i> Riveting . . . The tension persists until the last page -- <i>The Times</i> on <i>The Maiden</i> Enthralling, compelling and at times chilling . . . An utterly timely tale -- D.V. Bishop, award-winning author of <i>Ritual of Fire</i>, on <i>The King's Witches</i>


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