Life Cycle of a Moth

Longlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award 2026 An Observer Best Debut of 2025

"Astonishing" — Lucy Rose

"Biting and rich" — Molly Aitken

"Unforgettable" — Observer

"A novel of rare power" — Gabrielle Griffiths

Myma, do you hear it? Myma, do you hear? Myma?

Maya and Daughter live in complete isolation in a secluded woodland, their days aligned with the light and changing seasons, a complex pattern of routine and ritual.

One day, when Daughter is almost sixteen, a red-haired stranger steps into the confines of their territory. Where there was always two, suddenly there are three — and the carefully constructed world that Maya has built to keep her daughter safe may not survive it.