The pursuit of William Abbey

Title:

Author:

Summary:

"South Africa, 1884. A young and naive English doctor by the name of William Abbey witnesses the lynching of a local boy by the white colonists. As the child dies, his mother curses William. William begins to understand what the curse means when the shadow of the dead boy starts following him across the world. It never stops, never rests. It can cross oceans and mountains. And if it catches him, the person he loves most in the world will die."-- Amazon.com.

General Note:

Includes Extras containing meet the author, an excerpt from Ghoster by Jason Arnopp and The witch's kind by Louisa Morgan (pages 423-453).

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

453 pages : 21 cm

Genre:

Historical fiction.

Paranormal fiction.

Subject Term:

Physicians -- Fiction.

Blessing and cursing -- Fiction.

Shades and shadows -- Fiction.

Lynching -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

South Africa -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Orbit,

Publication Date:

2019

ISBN:

9780316316842

9780356507415

Publication Information:

New York, NY : Orbit, 2019.

Call Number:

NORTH

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003457085	Adult Fiction	NORTH Claire	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A hauntingly powerful novel about how the choices we make can stay with us forever, by the award-winning author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August and 84K .
South Africa in the 1880s. A young and naive English doctor by the name of William Abbey witnesses the lynching of a local boy by the white colonists. As the child dies, his mother curses William.
William begins to understand what the curse means when the shadow of the dead boy starts following him across the world. It never stops, never rests. It can cross oceans and mountains. And if it catches him, the person he loves most in the world will die.
Gripping, moving, and thought-provoking, The Pursuit of William Abbey proves once again that Claire North is one of the most innovative voices in modern fiction.

Previous books by Claire North: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August Touch The Sudden Appearance of Hope The End of the Day 84K The Gameshouse
Previous books written as Kate Griffin: Matthew Swift novels: A Madness of Angels The Midnight Mayor The Neon Court The Minority Council
Magicals Anonymous novels: Stray Souls The Glass God

Author Notes

Claire North is a pseudonym for Catherine Webb, who wrote several novels in various genres before publishing her first major work as Claire North, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August . It was a critically acclaimed success, receiving rave reviews and an Audie nomination, and was included in the Washington Post 's Best Books of the Year list. Her more recent novel, The Sudden Appearance of Hope , won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 2017. Catherine currently works as a theatre lighting designer and is a fan of big cities, urban magic, Thai food and graffiti-spotting. She lives in London.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

North (The Gameshouse) masterfully explores the weight of guilt and the power of truth in this dark historical fantasy. Sister Ellis is working as a nurse in France during WWI when she meets William Abbey, an Englishman who was cursed by the mother of a boy whose life he failed to save when he was a young doctor in Natal, South Africa in 1884. The novel is framed as Abbey sharing his story with Sister Ellis, telling of his employment as a spy for Great Britain, his epic love affair, and the ghastly shadow that dogs his every move. This shadow spirit's presence gives Abbey the power to see the truth of men's hearts, but it will kill those he loves if it catches him. Wracked with guilt over his past and enabled by his curse to see the evil motivations of the cruel imperialist he serves, Abbey sets out on a violent quest for revenge against his colonialist masters. North unflinchingly describes the ruthlessness of imperialism, but her choice to use a straight white male character to fight back against the exploitation of colonialism muddies her message. Readers will find this fantastical thriller as entrancing as it is disturbing. Agent: Meg Davis, Ki Agency (Nov.)

Library Journal Review

BISACed as a supernatural thriller but better described in the publicity as high-quality horror, this latest from World Fantasy Award winner North features babe-in-the-woods English doctor William Abbey, who in 1880s South Africa witnesses the lynching of a local boy by white colonists. His mother curses William, and the dead boy's shadow begins trailing William relentlessly, bearing a terrible threat: if the shadow catches him, the person William most loves will die. With a 75,000-copy first printing.