The Lamb

By Lucy Rose

Book Overview

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A FOLK TALE. A HORROR STORY. A LOVE STORY. AN ENCHANTMENT.

"A dark, gorgeous concoction."--New York Times

"Beautiful, terrifying . . . . Destined to become a classic."--Washington Post

From an incendiary new talent, a contemporary queer folktale about a mother and daughter living in the woods, for fans of Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood, and Julia Armfield.

Margot and Mama have lived by the forest ever since Margot can remember.

When Margot is not at school, they spend quiet days together in their cottage, waiting for strangers to knock on their door. Strays, Mama calls them. People who have strayed too far from the road. Mama loves the strays. She feeds them wine, keeps them warm. Then she satisfies her burning appetite by picking apart their bodies.

But Mama's want is stronger than her hunger sometimes, and when a beautiful, white-toothed stray named Eden turns up in the heart of a snowstorm, Margot must confront the shifting dynamics of her family, untangle her own desires, and make her bid for freedom.

With this gothic coming-of-age tale, debut novelist Lucy Rose explores how women swallow their anger, desire, and animal instincts--and wrings the relationship between mother and daughter until blood drips from it.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0063374609
• ISBN13: 9780063374607
• Release Date: February 2025
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.9" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

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This book is for someone. No one would accuse it of being unoriginal. It made me, a straight, white, blue collar male who’s normally into the darker stories about ladies who like ladies a little uncomfortable at times. That’s probably a good thing. To be clear, this is a positive review.

Middle of the road on it

This book struggled to hold my attention at times- it was only towards the end that I couldn’t put it down. I think the overall quality of the book was good, but it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea and left me feeling unsatisfied. This is just my opinion and I’m sure there are many people who love this book! There were several elements I thoroughly enjoyed- having it set in the young daughter’s perspective was interesting, and several scenes were heart wrenching, but I’m not sure if I’d read it again.