When several children from the same village start succumbing to a mysterious illness the quest
to discover the cause has devastating and extraordinary consequences. 'Absolutely
MAGNIFICENT: dark witty charming. I LOVED it.' MARIAN KEYES 'Utterly absorbing' LISA
MCINERNEY 'Heart-rending hilarious . . . it's a belter' LOUISE KENNEDY
'Blistering...glorious...written from the guts and from the heart.' LUCY CALDWELL 'An
original and exciting work that's equal parts terrifying hilarious and memorable.' SUNDAY
TIMES It is late June in Ballylack. Hannah Adger anticipates eight long weeks' reprieve from
school but when her classmate Ross succumbs to a violent and mysterious illness it marks the
beginning of a summer like no other. As others fall ill questions about what - or who - is
responsible pitch the village into conflict and fearful disarray. Hannah is haunted by guilt as
she remains healthy while her friends are struck down. Isolated and afraid she prays for help.
Elsewhere in the village tempers simmer panic escalates and long-buried secrets threaten to
emerge. Bursting with Carson's trademark wit profound empathy and soaring imagination The
Raptures explores how tragedy can unite a small community - and tear it apart. At its heart is
the extraordinary resilience of one young girl. As the world crumbles around her she must find
the courage to be different in a place where conforming feels like the only option available.
Darkly funny highly inventive and deeply moving The Raptures is an unmissable novel of 2022.
