The Behaviour Of Moths

From her lookout on the first floor, Ginny watches and waits for her younger sister to return to the crumbling mansion that was once their idyllic childhood home. Vivien has not set foot in the house since she left, forty-seven years ago; Ginny, the reclusive moth expert, has rarely ventured outside it.

But with Vivien's arrival, dark, unspoken secrets surface. Told in Ginny's unforgettable voice, this debut novel tells a disquieting story of two sisters and the ties that bind - sometimes a little too tightly.

Short-listed for Authors' Club Best First Novel 2009 (UK)
Short-listed for Costa Prize; First Novel Award 2009 (UK)
Long-listed for Desmond Elliott Prize 2009 (UK)

“ 'The Behaviour of Moths by Poppy Adams is a debut and new and emphatic voice; this story of the reunion of two batty sisters in their huge and crumbling house completely grips and the lepidopteran theme is totally convincing.' Rodney Troubridge, Waterstone's 'A rewarding read. Latent rivalries resurface as the sisters secretly question which of them has the greater grip on reality in this tantalising family mystery.' Waterstones Books Quarterly 'Adams succeeds in carefully building up an atmosphere of penumbral suspense, creeping towards a tense climax.' LITERARY REVIEW 'Adams' compelling story unfurls over a single weekend as two sisters, together again in their sixties in their dilapidated family home, are forced to confront the consequences fo the terrible chain of events that began with Vivien's near-fatal childhood accident. THE BEHAVIOUR OF MOTHS is an intricately crafted story, told with just the right balance of claustrophobia and compassion.' PSYCHOLOGIES 'Adams' debut novel is an atmospheric addition to the 'mess with your head' school of fiction.' MARIE CLAIRE ' As the sisters come to the end of their weekend together, our sympathis are embedded in Ginny's chrysalis-like world ? despite her increasingly ludicrous disquisitions about the lives of moths. Then Adams reveals something unexpected. This is a dark book, but an extremely funny one . . . A brilliantly paced debut.' DAILY MAIL** 'Adams took a risk in deciding to tell her story in the flat, abstracted voice of someone who has devoted her life to a "little known insect". But it is a convincing, true voice and it is to Adams' credit that she sustains it as she does.' FT'There's a Baby Jane aura around this sisterly relationship, and tension as the shocking truth is revealed' Kate Saunders, THE TIMES'A gothic mystery that keeps you pinned to the page like an insect in a case' EVE”

Nothing is obvious in this puzzling debut novel this mysterious and eerie tale. This is an intriguing novel and a hard one to put (dare I say pin) down. - Sydney Morning Herald

A dark yet funny literary tale about the hurt that can be inflicted, especially out of love - Australian Women's Weekly

Decades of lies, scandals and rivalries resurface as a thread of suspense creeps towards a dramatic crescendo - Grazia magazine

Slowly drawing you into its dark, antiquated world, the unusual use of unreliable narration establishes Adams's considerable promise - Sun-Herald

Poppy Adams is a documentary filmmaker with a Natural Science degree who has made films for the BBC, Channel 4 and the Discovery Channel. She has three children and lives with her husband in London.

From her lookout on the first floor, Ginny watches and waits for her younger sister to return to the crumbling mansion that was once their idyllic childhood home. Vivien has not set foot in the house since she left, forty-seven years ago; Ginny, the reclusive moth expert, has rarely ventured outside it. But with Vivien's arrival, dark, unspoken secrets surface. Told in Ginny's unforgettable voice, this debut novel tells a disquieting story of two sisters and the ties that bind - sometimes a little too tightly.

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