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by Nydia Hetherington
A beautifully written and deeply moving imagining of what came before Shakespeare's The Tempest from the author of A Girl Made of Air.
Born of the sun and moon, shaped by fire and malady, comes a young woman whose story has never been told ...
They call her Sycorax. Seer. Sage. Sorceress.
Outcast by society and all alone in the world, Sycorax must find a way to understand her true nature. But as her powers begin to grow, so too do the suspicions of the local townspeople. For knowledge can be dangerous, and a woman's knowledge is the most dangerous of all ...
With a great storm brewing on the horizon, Sycorax finds herself in increasing peril - but will her powers save her, or will they spell the end for them all?
"Hetherington breathes new life into the character from Shakespeare's The Tempest in this lyrical fantasy, exploring how chronic illness, ableism, and misogyny impact Sycorax's life. The supernatural elements and historical backdrop are well conjured, and Hetherington tenderly captures Sycorax's emotional resilience in the face of relentless prejudice. The lush prose is easy to sink into." ―Publishers Weekly
"A beautiful written exploration of one of literature's most famous and misunderstood women. This is a clever and immersive tale, brilliant in its exploration of how societies, old and new, have turned on those who don't fit in. Fabulous" ―Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City
"A vividly drawn imagining [of] Sycorax, mother of Caliban in The Tempest. Heartbreakingly poignant, it's the tale of a young woman living with physical pain, social isolation and terrible loneliness but who never gives up trying to find a life where she can be useful. So imaginative and original, and beautifully written." ―Frances Quinn, author of The Lost Passenger
This information about Sycorax was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Originally from Leeds, Nydia Hetherington moved to London in her twenties to embark on an acting career. Later she moved to Paris where she studied at the Jacques Lecoq theatre school before creating her own theatre company. When she returned to London, she completed a creative writing degree at Birkbeck.
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