10% off all books and free delivery over £40
Buy from our bookstore and 25% of the cover price will be given to a school of your choice to buy more books. *15% of eBooks.

Mrs Engels

View All Editions

£8.99 £8.09

In Stock. Same day dispatch on orders before 3pm.

Add To Wishlist
Write A Review Read An Extract

LoveReading Says

LoveReading Says

Shorlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2016.

Longlisted for the HWA Goldsboro Debut Crown Award Longlist 2016.

‘Mrs Engels’ is a stimulating and rather glorious peek at the life of Lizzie Burns, who lived alongside and supported the two men who founded Marxism. Set between 1842 and 1878, Gavin McCrea has planted this story in fact, and then weaved a magical yet earthy tale. Lizzie Burns was a woman of practical strength and determination, she takes the reader into her confidence and tells her own story, and what an amazing tale it is! Gavin McCrea not only transported me back in time, he also had me hanging on to every single word that came out of Lizzie’s mouth. The language surprises on occasion, and may cause a raised eyebrow, it is so full of attitude and down to earth. The story flowed between Lizzie’s past and present, until it felt as though it was one moment in time. Lizzie Burns was a woman who would have been extraordinary today, the voice McCrea has created is startling, and this is a simply wonderful and entirely captivating debut.

Chair of judges Iain Pears said: “McCrea has cleverly included just enough historical detail to set a very evocative scene, then lets his cast tell the story. The writing always surprises, his characters are compelling without having to be likeable and, as all of we judges noted, Mrs Engels is perhaps the most feminist novel we read for the Prize.”

Visit our 'Women's Words - 60+ works of feminist-minded fiction' to explore our collection of feminist-minded fiction from around the world, and across centuries.

Liz Robinson

eBooks of the Month

Find This Book In

Primary Genre Historical Fiction
Other Genres:
Recommendations:

About

Press Reviews

Author

Collections Featuring This Book

You Might Also Like...

The Glutton

A. K. Blakemore

Hardback

In Stock

£13.49 £14.99

A Dictator Calls

Ismail Kadare

Hardback

In Stock

£13.49 £14.99

The Death's Head Chess Club

John Donoghue

Paperback

In Stock

£8.99 £9.99

Shrines of Gaiety

Kate Atkinson

Paperback

In Stock

£8.99 £9.99

Havisham

Ronald Frame

Ebook (Epub)

Digital. Available Immediately. Country restrictions apply.

£5.99

The Bewitching

Jill Dawson

Paperback

In Stock

£8.99 £9.99