The Woman in the Wallpaper
By Lora Jones (Author)
Price$29.99
Pub Date 2/4/2025
ISBN 9781454956006
Format Hardcover, Jacketed
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The Woman in the Wallpaper
by Lora Jones
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OVERVIEW
The lives of three women dramatically collide during the French Revolution: Sofi, a wallpaper factory worker; her sister Lara, a lady’s maid; and a young aristocrat, Hortense. At the factory, the sisters notice something eerie about the intricately illustrated wallpaper: the same mysterious woman appears again and again. But what does it portend?
After the death of their beloved father, sisters Sofi and Lara are forced to leave their family home in Marseilles and move to a small village on the outskirts of Paris, where they have been offered work at a factory renowned for its intricately illustrated wallpaper known as Toile de Jouy. But when Sofi and Lara arrive at the factory, owned by a wealthy businessman named Wilhelm Oberst, they notice something unsettling about the wallpaper’s pattern. At the heart of its seemingly idyllic vignettes, the same woman appears again and again: Madame Justine, Oberst’s former wife—who, they discover, met an untimely and mysterious death years before, and who bears more than a passing resemblance to Lara. At the factory, Lara attracts the attention of the factory owner’s son, Josef. But there is something uncannily familiar about their interactions, and Lara soon realizes that her life is mirroring the scenes illustrated on the wallpaper that lines her bedchamber. As the strange occurrences surrounding the wallpaper become ever more unnerving, Lara is gripped by paranoia. Is history is repeating itself and, if so, will she share the same tragic fate as the woman in the wallpaper?
After the death of their beloved father, sisters Sofi and Lara are forced to leave their family home in Marseilles and move to a small village on the outskirts of Paris, where they have been offered work at a factory renowned for its intricately illustrated wallpaper known as Toile de Jouy. But when Sofi and Lara arrive at the factory, owned by a wealthy businessman named Wilhelm Oberst, they notice something unsettling about the wallpaper’s pattern. At the heart of its seemingly idyllic vignettes, the same woman appears again and again: Madame Justine, Oberst’s former wife—who, they discover, met an untimely and mysterious death years before, and who bears more than a passing resemblance to Lara. At the factory, Lara attracts the attention of the factory owner’s son, Josef. But there is something uncannily familiar about their interactions, and Lara soon realizes that her life is mirroring the scenes illustrated on the wallpaper that lines her bedchamber. As the strange occurrences surrounding the wallpaper become ever more unnerving, Lara is gripped by paranoia. Is history is repeating itself and, if so, will she share the same tragic fate as the woman in the wallpaper?
PRAISE
“Spellbinding and decadent . . . an astounding debut.”—Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora
“An epic, elaborate plot told with exquisite, captivating detail. . . . An astonishingly accomplished debut.”
—Cari Thomas, bestselling author of Threadneedle
“An exquisite page-turner that will keep you up at night.”
—Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, bestselling author of The Butchering Art
“That rare delight: a work of historical fiction that makes you consider anew the past you thought you understood, and see it through fresh eyes.”
—Laura Shepperson, author of Phaedra
“Sweeping and yet intimate, powerful and passionate, and yet subtle and unnerving. A glorious read!”
—Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts
“We are gifted a platter of intriguing, unpredictable characters and an expertly plotted narrative that delights and amuses despite the darkly unsettling mystery.”
—Joanne Burn, author of The Hemlock Cure
“Exquisite writing and a riveting plot.”
—Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork Girl -
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)
After studying English Literature at the University of Durham, Lora Jones began her career in the TV industry, reading scripts and writing for ITV, the BBC, Channel 4, and others. Lora lives in the rugged, myth-steeped hills of North Wales, United Kingdom. The Woman in the Wallpaper is her first novel.