Heady, rich and evocative, and while a reimagining of Great Expectations, this debut stands as a unique and startling read in its own right. As a child, orphaned Kit finds the world of his Uncle and Aunt an enticing place to be, as he grows older he discovers that all that glitters isn’t necessarily gold. Gill Darling travels through three decades from the 1970’s, creating the most spelling-binding novel. She doesn’t flinch from the harsher side of life, and while building an enchanting world, exposes vulnerability, selfishness, and excess. The characters feel as real as can be, with a tapestry of traits they ensured my feelings moved through the gamut of emotions. While I knew this was inspired by Great Expectations before I started, I entered and read it as Erringby, completely absorbed and only looking between the two when I had turned the last page. I found growing up with Kit at times disturbing, while at others I relished his adventures, and the ending sent little goose pimples skittering down my arms. When I finish reading I always return to the cover again to see with new eyes, and oh what a gorgeously expressive and clever creation it is! Thoughtful and loving, yet passionate and provocative, Erringby is a truly striking coming-of-age novel and a deserves its place as a LoveReading Star Book.
Kit is waiting expectantly for life to begin. Orphaned as a young child, he recoils from his adoptive parents' mundane existence, drawn instead to the bohemian world of his Uncle Col and Col's charismatic wife Marianne. Amid the permissive atmosphere of Erringby, Marianne's rambling family mansion, Kit becomes increasingly obsessed with his aunt. One debauched summer, the eighteen-year-old Kit wakes to find himself in bed with Marianne. But what happened? And who is his sudden mysterious benefactor? As Kit grapples with the ramifications of that night, he, Marianne and Col find their lives spiralling out of control. Unfolding against the changing cultural landscape of the seventies, eighties and nineties, 'Erringby' is a captivating coming-of-age novel with echoes of 'Great Expectations'.
'An astonishingly accomplished first novel, a new voice telling a classic tale - richly imagined, cleverly adapted and thoroughly enjoyable.' - Ami Rao, author of 'David and Ameena';
'A complex human drama, a beautifully written novel of exquisite poignancy.' - Anna South, consultant editor;
'A novel that plays along fault lines of class, family and sexuality with a cool wit and a compelling, raunchy intelligence. Gill Darling is a writer with a tender touch and a wicked turn of phrase; a winning combination.' -Ross Raisin, author of 'A Natural'
Author
About Gill Darling
Gill Darling grew up in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and graduated from the University of York with a degree in Economics and Statistics. She currently lives in Manchester where she works as a chartered accountant in the social housing and charity sectors. In 2015 she was selected as a fiction mentee in the Jerwood-Arvon mentoring scheme and was published in their anthology, 'Whisper the Wrong Name'. 'Erringby' is her first published novel.
