A beautifully written evocation of family and friendship forged amongst the painfully anachronistic rituals of the English boarding system and the strictures of privilege, from the prize-winning writer of The Amnesia Clinic and Heliopolis

‘James Scudamore is now a force in the English novel’ Hilary Mantel

‘A very impressive novel’ Sarah Moss

When ten-year-old Max is sent to boarding school, his idyllic childhood comes to an abrupt end. Away from the freedom of his grandfather’s farm, a world of rules and punishment awaits. But so too does the companionship of a close-knit group of classmates.

Years later, as Max and his friends face down adulthood, a dark secret from their schooldays is revealed, drawing them together in unforeseen ways. Who knew what, and when? And who now wants to see justice done?

‘Breathtakingly good’ Observer

‘Dark, tender, troubling’ Guardian