A haunting Southern fever dream of a novel about a young woman taken in by her beguiling aunt and cousins, only to learn her estranged family is far more dangerous than she bargained for
Left reeling after the sudden death of her mother, Bridget has no other option but to shed her old life to stay with her aunt and three cousins in rural Louisiana. At first, the Fawns seems golden: her aunt Ada is generous, if eccentric, and inheriting three cousins means that for once, Bridget finally feels a sense of belonging.
But there are strange goings‑on in the isolated Fawn house; knocking can be heard from the locked rooms on the third floor, and Bridget’s cousins treat Ada with cult‑like reverence. Unsettled, Bridget finds that there are no limits to what Ada will ask her to do: quit all her medication cold turkey, live without technology—even participate in disturbing nighttime rituals in the woods.
But Bridget’s desire for connection is paramount, and fitting in soon consumes her. And when people in town start to disappear, Ada will stop at nothing to keep her girls safe. As tensions mount during one endless, sweltering summer, Bridget must decide how much of herself she’s willing to sacrifice for the family she’s always yearned for.
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