The Thirteenth Room — Siobhan Parkinson

It has been nine years since the death of a young girl on the Taggart farm near the quiet Irish village of Dromadden. But memories of the tragedy are vividly and powerfully called up when Niamh comes to Planten to nurse the dying Taggart, enraged and imprisoned in his wasting body. Niamh quickly becomes embroiled in the manipulations and deceptions of the Taggart family, but her questions about Miriam's death meet with a wall of silence from both the family and the villagers. As Niamh slowly and painfully uncovers the truth, it becomes apparent that her own fate is bound up with that of Miriam.. This bold and original novel by acclaimed Irish writer Siobhán Parkinson is a richly complex exploration of the often precarious nature of women's lives that resonates far beyond its Irish context. "An original and beautifully written novel."-Éilís Ní Dhuibhne. "I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, for the fine writing and characterization, and for its sheer difference."-Books Ireland