Born of No Woman

Nineteenth-century rural France.

Before he is called to bless the body of a woman at the nearby asylum, Father Gabriel receives a strange, troubling confession: hidden under the woman's dress he will find the notebooks in which she confided the abuses she suffered and the twisted motivations behind them.

And so Rose's terrible story comes to light: sold as a teenage girl to a rich man, hidden away in an old manor house deep in the woods and caught in a perverse web, manipulated by those society considers her betters. A girl whose only escape is to capture her life - in all its devastation and hope - in the pages of her diary.

The English-language debut of critically acclaimed author Franck Bouysse, this exquisitely written novel is both a keen social commentary and a chilling horror story.

“At once classic and phantasmagoric, Born of No Woman proves that fiction...can still amaze - Le Monde des livresA vivid, mesmerizing tale - L ExpressRare are those who, like Franck Bouysse, manage to write the indescribable, to touch the unspeakable, with so much subtlety and intensity. - La Libre”

Here, everything is epiphanic, essential, surprising, whether it be the revelation of a secret or the painting of a detail...At once classic and phantasmagoric, Born of No Woman proves that fiction...can still amaze Le Monde des livres
A vivid, mesmerizing tale L’Express
Rare are those who, like Franck Bouysse, manage to write the indescribable, to touch the unspeakable, with so much subtlety and intensity. In spite of the severity and darkness of certain pages, Born of No Woman is a deeply moving and luminous book La Libre
Born of No Woman is a dazzling, heart-wrenching tale of cruelty and mercy, secrets and horrors. The novel is deeply immersive, gothic, and taut with dread; the prose sings and the characters burn in the heart. Easily my favourite book of the year. Not to be missed Kim Taylor Blakemore, author of After Alice Fell
One of the most disturbing yet lyrically exquisite novels I've read in a long time . . . Brave, sometimes horrific, Born of No Woman is one of the most compelling novels I have read in many years. Infused with lurid elements of the most gothic fairy tales, it explores the darkest realms of human sexuality Essie Fox, author of The Last Days of Leda Grey
A haunting, suspenseful gothic tale set in nineteenth-century France that weaves many layers, from the plight of women in that era to class distinctions that lead to oppression of the vulnerable . . . Ultimately, this is a book of hope and the resilience of the human spirit to overcome tragedy. The narrative is elegant, and the viewpoint of every character is compelling and credible. Highly recommended! Debbie Herbert, author of Not One of Us and Cold Waters
Born of No Woman is beautifully and quietly haunting. Rose's triumph over human weakness, cruelty, and her own powerlessness as a woman without means or status deeply resonates, and the strength of her dignity and resilience lingers long after the pages are turned Megan Chance, bestselling author of A Splendid Ruin
Undoubtedly effective . . . There are plenty of narrative surprises as Rose's father seeks to recover her, and she falls in love with the mysterious Edmond Guardian, Best Recent Translated Fiction
This book feels like the Marquis de Sade's Justine if Justine had written it . . . show[ing] the author's keen observational skills when it comes to class and gender CrimeReads, Best International Crime Fiction of the Month

Frank Bouysse is a French author. His novels Grossir le ciel in 2014, Plateau in 2016 and Glaise in 2017 have been met with wide success and won a vast array of literary awards. Previously a teacher of biology and horticulture, Bouysse lives in the south-west of France.

Nineteenth-century rural France. Before he is called to bless the body of a woman at the nearby asylum, Father Gabriel receives a strange, troubling confession: hidden under the woman's dress he will find the notebooks in which she confided the abuses she suffered and the twisted motivations behind them.And so Rose's terrible story comes to light: sold as a teenage girl to a rich man, hidden away in an old manor house deep in the woods and caught in a perverse web, manipulated by those society considers her betters. A girl whose only escape is to capture her life - in all its devastation and hope - in the pages of her diary.The English-language debut of critically acclaimed author Franck Bouysse, this exquisitely written novel is both a keen social commentary and a chilling horror story.

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