Queen High

June, 1955

The Leader has been dead for two years. His assassination, on British soil, provoked violent retribution and intensified repression of British citizens, particularly women. Now, more than ever, the Protectorate is a place of surveillance and isolation - a land of spies.

Every evening Rose Ransom looks in the mirror and marvels that she's even alive. A mere woman, her role in the Leader's death has been miraculously overlooked. She still works at the Culture Ministry, where her work now focuses on the outlawed subject of Poetry, a form of writing that transmits subversive meanings, emotions and signals that cannot be controlled. Therefore all Poetry is banned and Rose is appointed a Poet Hunter.

To widespread surprise, President Eisenhower is to make a state visit to the Alliance and Rose is tasked with visiting the widowed Queen Wallis to provide a background briefing. When she arrives at the palace, she finds Wallis in a state of paranoia, desperate to return to America and enjoy the liberty of her homeland. She claims she has a secret document so explosive that it will blow the Protectorate apart - but will the last Queen of England pull the trigger on the Alliance?

“A triumph ... As witty as it is withering, as thrilling as it is consummately imagined, this deserves to be the bestseller of 2021 - Amanda Craig on WIDOWLANDCarey's meticulously-constructed alternative Britain in the 1950s is a huge imaginative feat - Independent on WIDOWLAND For fans of dystopian stories (think Margaret Atwood and Naomi Alderman) this one's a must-read - Cosmopolitan on WIDOWLAND Hugely atmospheric , rich in the way it evokes an austerity Britain... chilling - SFX on WIDOWLAND”

A triumph...As witty as it is withering, as thrilling as it is consummately imagined, this deserves to be the bestseller of 2021 - Amanda Craig on WIDOWLAND

Carey's meticulously-constructed alternative Britain in the 1950s is a huge imaginative feat - Independent on WIDOWLAND

C. J. Carey is a novelist, journalist and broadcaster. She has worked at the Sunday Times, the Daily Telegraph and the BBC, among others. She also writes novels under the name Jane Thynne and lives in London. Widowland is the first novel she has written as C. J. Carey.

The thrilling sequel to Widowland , 'Clever, thrilling, brilliantly imagined ... chillingly convincing post-war dystopia' (Clare Chambers). Perfect for fans of Fatherland and The Handmaid's Tale. June, 1955 The Leader has been dead for two years. His assassination, on British soil, provoked violent retribution and intensified repression of British citizens, particularly women. Now, more than ever, the Protectorate is a place of surveillance and isolation - a land of spies.Every evening Rose Ransom looks in the mirror and marvels that she's even alive. A mere woman, her role in the Leader's death has been miraculously overlooked. She still works at the Culture Ministry, where her work now focuses on the outlawed subject of Poetry, a form of writing that transmits subversive meanings, emotions and signals that cannot be controlled. Therefore all Poetry is banned and Rose is appointed a Poet Hunter.To widespread surprise, President Eisenhower is to make a state visit to the Alliance and Rose is tasked with visiting the widowed Queen Wallis to provide a background briefing. When she arrives at the palace, she finds Wallis in a state of paranoia, desperate to return to America and enjoy the liberty of her homeland. She claims she has a secret document so explosive that it will blow the Protectorate apart - but will the last Queen of England pull the trigger on the Alliance?

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