Summerwater: a tense, unsettling literary novel set in the Scottish Highlands

The Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller 'Superb' The Times 'Sharp, searching . . . utterly of the moment' Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall 'So accomplished' Guardian 'A masterpiece' Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist 'One of her best' Irish Times 'Beautifully written, intense, powerful' David Nicholls, author of Sweet Sorrow

From the acclaimed author of Ghost Wall, Summerwater is a devastating story told over twenty-four hours in the Scottish highlands, and a searing exploration of our capacity for both kinship and cruelty in these divided times.

On the longest day of the summer, twelve people sit cooped up with their families in a faded Scottish cabin park. The endless rain leaves them with little to do but watch the other residents.

A woman goes running up the Ben as if fleeing; a retired couple reminisce about neighbours long since moved on; a teenage boy braves the dark waters of the loch in his red kayak. Each person is wrapped in their own cares but increasingly alert to the makeshift community around them. One particular family, a mother and daughter without the right clothes or the right manners, starts to draw the attention of the others. Tensions rise and all watch on, unaware of the tragedy that lies ahead as night finally falls.

Longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2021.

‘Nothing escapes her sly humour and brilliant touch. Deft and brimming with life, Summerwater is a novel of endless depth. A masterpiece.’ Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist

'Summerwater may be her best so far.' The Times

'This latest display of Moss’s imaginative versatility shine[s] with intelligence' Sunday Times

© 2020 Picador (Audiobook): 9781529035469

Release date

Audiobook: 20 August 2020