The Enchantment of Lucy Applewhite
A thrilling and moody gothic novel about a girl who is afraid evil resides within her
New York, 1966. Thirteen-year-old Lucy Applewhite attends a Catholic girls' school; she and her friends have tickets to a Beatles concert. But when her mother makes a horrifying confession, Lucy’s young life is thrown into disarray. This novel is poised between realism and supernaturalism. It is the coming-of-age story of the year: an overpowering tussle between good and evil, dark and light, witchcraft and dark forces.
One day, Lucy's mother reveals the truth: Lucy is the child of an unknown rapist. From that moment on, Lucy clings to her childhood — but the world she is trying to escape refuses to let her go. What if the darkness she fears is already within her?
She appears to have a gift: she can penetrate people’s mind and soul; she can read their thoughts. Her gift is also an unnerving curse, empowering her to wreak untold damage if she chose to. Indeed, she catches herself wishing harm on those who have hurt her. Lucy finds it harder and harder to believe that she is a good person. Is that because she isn’t? Or has she been brainwashed? And are there witches living in the building she calls home?
Eekhout once again explores the literary liminal realm between magic realism, thriller and reality, trapping readers in the vice-grip perspective of the unreliable narrator. The Enchantment of Lucy Applewhite is an engaging, complex and exceptionally fast-paced novel.
Following her international bestseller Mary, Anne Eekhout revisits the relationship between fantasy and monstrosity
In the tradition of Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby and the work of Mary Shelley
A gothic novel and coming-of-age story about intergenerational trauma and feminism
Rights sold: BtB (Germany)
Quotes about Mary
Anne Eekhout (b. 1981) made her debut as a novelist in 2014, with 'Dogma' (shortlisted for the Bronzen Uil and longlisted for the AKO Literatuurprijs).