From the internationally bestselling author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street comes an astonishing historical novel set in the magical forests of South America, perfect for fans of The Night Circus, The Essex Serpent and The Muse
Deep in uncharted Peru, the holy town of Bedlam stands at the edge of a forest. The shrine statues move, and anyone who crosses the border dies. But somewhere inside are cinchona trees, whose bark yields quinine: the only known treatment for malaria.
By 1859, on the other side of the Pacific, the hunt for a reliable source of quinine is critical and the India Office searches out its last qualified expeditionary, the injured Merrick Tremayne. Against his own better judgement, Merrick finds himself dispatched to Bedlam under orders to bring back cinchona cuttings at any cost.
As Merrick travels into hostile territory, he meets Raphael, a priest around whom the villagers spin unsettlingly familiar stories of impossible disappearances and living stone. It is through him that Merrick finally discovers a legacy that will prove more dangerous and valuable than the India Office could ever have imagined.
About the Author
Natasha Pulley studied English Literature at Oxford University. After stints working at Waterstones as a bookseller, then at Cambridge University Press as a publishing assistant in the astronomy and maths departments, she did the Creative Writing MA at UEA. She later studied in Tokyo, where she lived on a scholarship from the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. She was chosen to be a Writer in Residence at Gladstone's Library and is now associate lecturer at Bath Spa University and panel tutor at the Cambridge University Institute of Continuing Education.
Her first novel, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, was an international bestseller, won a Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award. The Bedlam Stacks is her second novel. She lives in Bath.
Industry Reviews
The Peru that Markham and Tremayne encounter is a sheer fantastical delight. Exploding "whitewood" trees, lamps made of glowing pollen, moving statues and rock formations of pure glass ... What's more, she writes elegantly and plots like a pro * The Times *
An immense treat for lovers of both historical fiction and the surreal -- Books of the Year * Observer *
A fast-paced adventure story with great characters and a message about colonialism * i *
Pulley's prose is as delightfully playful and evocative as ever. She paints a hidden world that's every bit as colourful as James Cameron's Pandora, packed with vibrant and quirky characters, and fascinating historical detail that never feels forced **** * SFX Magazine *
Filled with wondrous images, from moving statues to exploding trees ... It rolls along at speed to a satisfying ending * Scotsman *
A magical, hugely imaginative novel set in 1859 ... Adventure and mystery abound as his expedition encounters moving statues, exploding trees, volcanic glass, floating cities and protective Incas * Sunday Express *
Impossible to put down * San Francisco Book Review *
Natasha Pulley had a lot to live up to after the runaway success of her debut novel, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. But she's managed to do just that with The Bedlam Stacks * Herald *
This terrific historical adventure draws on the same world of magic and intrigue as Pulley's bestselling The Watchmaker of Filigree Street ... Brilliantly imaginative * Saga 'Poolside page-turners' *
Part adventure story, part meditation, and all richly imagined dreamscape ... Pulley's story reaches across the years and miles to reflect on the nature of time, myth, magic, and above all, what makes us most human ... Magical on the outside and inside * Chicago Review of Books *
Immensely readable ... The story's rich detail provides the reader a clear experience of 1850s Peru while imparting believability to its magic and imaginative elements. Its exciting style, humour and uniqueness are nothing short of charming. Enthusiastically recommended * Historical Novel Society *
