Cruel Beautiful World

A seductive page-turner that ripples with an undercurrent of suspense. The Boston Globe A seamless triumph of storytelling. Gail Godwin, author of Flora Its 1969, and sixteen-year-old Lucy is about to run away with a much older man to live off the grid in rural Pennsylvania, a rash act that will have frightening repercussions for both her and her older sister, Charlotte. As Lucys default caretaker for most of their lives, Charlotte has always been burdened by having to be the responsible one, but never more so than when Lucys dream of a rural paradise turns into a nightmare. With precise, haunting prose and indelible characters, Cruel Beautiful World examines the infinitesimal distance between seduction and love, loyalty and duty, and most of all, tells a universal story of sisterhood and the complicated legacy of family. Absorbing. The New York Times Book Review Captivating.Los Angeles Times Engrossing. People Page-turning suspense. New York Journal of Books Riveting. Marie Claire Marvelous.The National Book Review Hauntingly brilliant. Coastal Living Gripping and suspenseful. BookPage Moving. The Washington Post