Description

A best science fiction, fantasy and horror pick from The Guardian

‘A haunting and magnificent new voice.’ Sam J. Miller, author of Blackfish City

Can the mistakes of the past ever be undone?

In post-World War I London, Bea finds solace from political turmoil in the local marshlands. There, she is frequently visited by a mysterious presence, logging each appearance in a scarlet journal.

In a time like now, Kay navigates friendship and queerness in a world with an uncertain future. At her grandmother’s house she finds a red journal – an intriguing record of an angel’s visit.

In the future, outsiders are living off grid, away from an oppressive government and environmental collapse. Can Ess’s journey into the past, guided only by a well-thumbed scarlet notebook, save the present?

A Line You Have Traced is the story of three women, separated by history but drawn together by an unknown force, that asks how we might survive and engage with the world, and each other, before it’s too late.

‘A gloriously innovative, endlessly surprising gut punch of a novel.’ Rebecca Tamas, author of Witch

Publisher Review

‘Think Kaliane Bradley’s The Ministry of Time crossed with David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas… Endlessly inventive, emotionally resonant and politically alive… Roisin Dunnett’s debut novel pushes speculative fiction to new heights.’ Zing Tsjeng, author of Forgotten Women ‘I don’t know which I admire more: the casual beauty of the sentences, the cunning of the design, or the tact and compassion with which A Line You Have Traced weaves together its three layers of time into its instructions for the end of our world.’ Francis Spufford, author of Golden Hill ‘Magnificent. No word is wasted, and even the most economical of Roisin Dunnett’s sentences can make you understand emotions you’ve never experienced… The subject matter is colossal, but the writing is always intimate, navigating time’s expanse through the little people suspended in it and the little ways they (we) try to connect.’ Sue Gives a F**k ‘This is a gloriously innovative, endlessly surprising gut punch of a novel. Dunnett is a dazzlingly original, luminous new voice in fiction… If the novel has any future at all, then this is it.’ Rebecca Tamas, author of Witch ‘A stunning debut novel that asks us what do we owe to each other and what trace will we leave on the world. I loved meeting Bea, Kay and Ess and getting lost in their brilliantly imagined worlds.’ Elizabeth Lovatt, author of Thank You For Calling the Lesbian Line ‘Smart and intriguing. Roisin Dunnett is a writer of clarion talent and A Line You Have Traced is an inventive, ambitious novel.’ Chris Power, author of A Lonely Man ‘In this exhilarating book, Roisin Dunnett brings together three compelling and beautifully drawn worlds and three distinct and powerful voices. You will love each one.’ Isabel Greenberg, author of The One Hundred Nights of Hero ‘A poised, insightful work of feminist speculative fabulation… I loved this novel.’ Sophie Lewis, author of Abolish the Family: A Manifesto for Care and Liberation ‘A Line You Have Traced is a metamorphosis. A love letter. A manifesto on time and becoming.’ Molly McGhee, author of Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind ‘A wonderfully moving and unique time-travel story. Roisin’s writing is rich and poetic. A must-read!’ Pim Wangtechawat, author of The Moon Represents my Heart ‘an ambitious book with plenty to say about history, community, and the ties that bind.’ Tobias Carroll in Reactor Magazine