Strange things are afoot in the English village where the Willoweed family live. Unnatural floods usher in dead peacocks and ducks, soon followed by an ominous wave of self-inflicted deaths and a peculiar illness. From their humble Willoweed cottage, sisters Emma and Hattie are helpless spectators to this unfolding chaos, their childhood idyll disintegrating as fear infects their once-familiar world. But as the virus spreads and hysteria grips everyone around them, they realise their lives are about to change forever.A twisted pandemic parable and a tragicomic gem.'One of the most distinctive voices in English literature - and ripe for rediscovery.' -- Telegraph'The pleasure in reading Comyns comes from her pure, runaway imagination... Her novels are honest yet dreamy, full of innocence and experience' -- TLSBorn and raised in England, Barbara Comyns (1909-1992) was a writer and artist who juggled various creative and entrepreneurial endeavors throughout her colorful life, leaving behind a rich literary legacy.