Eco-friendly options
We ship using recycled materials and reduce packaging waste.
Fast delivery
We partner with the largest delivery companies to ensure your order arrives quickly.
Description
xIntroduced by Claire-Louise Bennett, experience one new mother's psychological journey in this lost 1930 foremother of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar.
'Extraordinary. A fascinating and unexpected delight.' Lucy Ellmann
'Haunting and evocative, this is a timeless portrayal of madness.' Catherine Cho
'A startling, luminous and magnetic novel about the complexity of motherhood.' Yiyun Li
'With its deep musicality, Coleman's unforgettable voice was years ahead of its time.' Sinead Gleeson
The only thing to do is to put hammers in the porridge and when there are enough hammers we shall break down the windows and all of us shall dance in the snow.
Some days, Marthe Gail believes she is God; others, Jesus Christ. Her baby, she thinks, is dead. The red light is shining. There are bars on the window. And the voices keep talking.
Time blurs; snow falls. The doctors say it is a breakdown; that this is Gorestown State Hospital. Her fellow patients become friends and enemies, moving between the Day Room and Dining Hall, East Hall and West Side, avoiding the Strong Room. Her husband visits and shows her a lock of her baby's hair, but she doesn't remember, yet - until she can make it upstairs, ascending towards release ...
Shocking and hilarious, tragic and visceral, this experimental portrait of motherhood and mental illness written in 1930 has never felt more visionary.
Shipping and Returns
xReturn Policy
All products are subject to our return and exchange policy with the exception of: books, electronics, video games, and prepaid cards; unless they do not meet the standard specifications. For categories not mentioned, you can return any product you purchased from us within 14 days from the date of order without asking any questions. Please contact us to inform us of your desire and we will provide you with our warehouse address. You can also visit any of the Afaq Bookstore branches in Kuwait, Qatar or London to return your order, provided that you have the order invoice.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of your delivery of the package to the shipping company. However, in many cases you will receive your refund sooner. This time frame includes the time it takes for the return to reach us (5-10 business days), the time it takes to process the return once it is received (3-5 business days), and the time it takes for your bank to process the refund request (5-10 business days).
shipping
We ship to any address worldwide. If you are located in the UK, you should expect to receive your order within 24-48 hours, if you are outside the UK, you should expect to receive your order within 2-8 working days.
When you place an order, we will provide you with shipping and delivery time estimates based on the availability of your products and the shipping options you have selected. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping time estimates may appear on the Shipping Offers page.
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.