Description

‘Chelsea Bieker breathes thrilling, risky energy into the familiar trope of the madwoman… A well-paced and absorbing page-turner.’ New York Times

CLOVE HAS BUILT HER DREAM LIFE. IT’S ABOUT TO COME CRASHING DOWN.

Everything appears to be going pretty well for Clove. She’s built a stable family home in Portland, she has a handsome husband who encourages her to pursue her dream of writing, and her two kids are pretty adorable. Sure, she dabbles in a low-level shopping addiction and is racking up a not-so-funny amount of credit card debt, but who doesn’t have a vice or two?

But when a letter arrives from a women’s prison in California, Clove’s past comes hurtling into her new life. Soon, she is caught up in a dangerous game of cat and mouse as she desperately tries to outrun her worst experiences.

Raw and hilarious, Madwoman is a story about resilience, courage, and one woman’s refusal to be defined by a past she would rather forget.

‘A truly stunning read – this is my book of the year.’ Ella Berman

A Time Magazine ‘Most Anticipated Book of Fall 2024’

Publisher Review

‘Madwoman is a feminist page-turner – sharp writing meets daring plotting and defiant truth-telling. The result is a firecracker of a novel, an exploration between two covers.’ Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage, winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction ‘Chelsea Bieker is an absolutely crackling talent.’ Lauren Groff, author of Matrix ‘Darkly funny, heart-smashing, and absolutely unforgettable, Madwoman is a masterpiece.’ Rachel Yoder, author of Nightbitch ‘You won’t be able to turn away from this book, not even for a second.’ T Kira Madden, author of Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls ‘Madwoman lives at that harrowing edge where despair and violence collide. A story of deceit, delusion, love, and terror, this novel is a scream at dawn, an impossible-to-forget story told by an author whose work I will now forever adore.’ Rachel Louise Snyder, author of Women We Buried, Women We Burned ‘Electrifying and vital, Madwoman is literary suspense of the highest order… A brilliant novel from a blazing, singular talent.’ Kimberly King Parsons, author of Black Light ‘This intense, propulsive novel takes an age-old story right up to the minute. In portraying the exhausting attempt to overcome violence and safeguard loved ones, Bieker writes with urgency, integrity and emotional acuity.’ Caoilinn Hughes, author of The Wild Laughter ‘Such a refreshing read. I’ve never met a protagonist like this before. Bieker wrote very sensitive, heavy subject matter in a way that was inviting. I felt safe reading even the darkest moments, as they were handled so masterfully.’ Chloe Michelle Howarth, author of Sunburn ‘I devoured every perfect sentence… A truly stunning read – this is my book of the year.’ Ella Berman, author of Before We Were Innocent ‘Unputdownable. Harrowing while somehow also being deeply funny and furiously wise. Chelsea Bieker is a daredevil and a wonder.’ Claudia Dey, author of Daughter ‘Madwoman is brilliant. The rare kind of book that lives in your bones, as riveting as it is intimate. This is emotional suspense at its best… Fresh, urgent, and darkly comic. A novel hasn’t consumed me like this in a very long time.’ Ashley Audrain, author of The Push ‘An indelible portrait of what living with intergenerational trauma and a legacy of abuse can look like. In the guise of a suspense story, Bieker delves into the heart of what it really means to survive violence.’ Kirkus