Jessie Lamb is an ordinary girl living in extraordinary times: as her world collapses, her idealism and courage drive her towards the ultimate act of heroism. If the human race is to survive, it's up to her. Set just a month or two in the future, in a world irreparably altered by an act of biological terrorism, The Testament of Jessie Lamb explores a young woman's determination to make her life count for something, as the certainties of her childhood are ripped apart.
'With Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go having hit the big screen, this is set to be a good year for literary dystopias that pack an emotional punch. With that adaptation, it's a case of if you like the film, you'll love the book, but - if you can take any more bleakness - you'll be blown away by this new novel by Jane Rogers.' KATY GUEST: Sunday Independent
'On the surface, the most resonant aspect of this novel would seem to be the fear of science getting out of control and killing us all, but Jessie Lamb herself is just as chilling. You couldn't tell Jessie to get a sense of perspective, because she'd snap back that she's already looking at the bigger picture. But she's regarding it with the zeal and obstinacy of youth, which makes her and others like her vulnerable to manipulation by extremists.' ALASTAIR MABBOTT: The Herald Paperback of the Week
Author
About Jane Rogers
Jane Rogers has written eight novels including Her living Image (Somerset Maugham Award), Mr Wroe’s Virgins (Guardian Fiction Prize runner-up), Promised Lands (Writers Guild Best Novel Award), Island (Orange long-listed), and The Voyage Home. She has written drama for radio and TV, including an award-winning adaptation of Mr Wroe’s Virgins for BBC2. Her radio work includes both original drama and Classic Serial adaptations. She has taught writing at the University of Adelaide, Paris Sorbonne IV, and on a radio-writing project in Eastern Uganda. She is Professor of Writing at Sheffield Hallam University, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Jane lives on the edge of the moors in Lancashire.
