Accidental Darlings: The darkly hilarious new novel from Polari Prize-shortlisted author Crystal Jeans

'Delightfully subversive, I loved it' RED The darkly funny new novel from Polari Prize-shortlisted author Crystal Jeans, inspired in part by Dickens' Great Expectations… It’s 1924, and the village of Skimpole is full of secrets. When Anastasia’s mother dies, she must move in with ‘the Aunt’ – a writer, too fearsome for a first name, who lives in a dilapidated mansion with her dogs. But mysteries abound: who wrote the raunchy love letters she discovers in the Aunt’s bedroom, signed ‘Big Willy’? Why do the villagers hate the Aunt so much? And how did Anastasia’s father, who passed before she was born, really die? When the Aunt’s friends arrive at the house one summer, wreathed in cigarette smoke and an air of debauchery, Anastasia may be closer to finding answers – but the truth will turn her world upside down… In the heart of the 20th century, Anastasia's life takes a gothic turn as she uncovers the hidden stories of her family. The historical fiction of Accidental Darlings by Crystal Jeans, is a coming of age tale that will leave you breathless. For fans of Stacey Halls (The Familiars), James Cahill (The Violet Hour), Shelby Van Pelt (Remarkably Bright Creatures), Barbara Kingsolver (Demon Copperhead), and Alison Espach (The Wedding People). HarperCollins 2024