The Girls of Summer

The Girls of Summer

The addictive and thought-provoking book club debut

Summary

'Dark, timely and thought-provoking. It's a must-read' THE SUN

'Visceral and raw. Buy it' GLAMOUR

'Reminiscent of HBO's hit The White Lotus... The obvious read-alike is My Dark Vanessa' BOOKLIST

'Packs an incredible punch' THE TIMES

'It's set to be a big summer hit' The Independent


An idyllic island. An all-consuming romance. The best summer of your life . . .

But what if everything you remember was a lie?

**********

Rachel has loved Alistair since she was seventeen.

Even though she hasn't seen him for sixteen years and she's now married to someone else.

Even though she was a teenager when they met.

Even though he is almost twenty years older than her.

Now in her thirties, Rachel has never been able to forget their golden summer together on a remote, sun-trapped Greek island. But as dark and deeply suppressed memories rise to the surface, Rachel begins to understand that Alistair - and the enigmatic, wealthy man he worked for - controlled much more than she ever realized.

Rachel has never once considered herself a victim - until now.

**********

For fans of GIRL A, MY DARK VANESSA and LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE, The Girls of Summer is a bold compulsive exploration of sex, power and consent, and what happens when we revisit the past with rose-tinted glasses.

'Beautifully written, transportive, and thought-provoking' LUCY CLARKE, author of THE CASTAWAYS

'A mesmerising, unsettling and gripping debut' CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD, author of RUN TIME

'Thought-provoking, timely' SARAH TURNER, author of STEPPING UP

***********

Readers are talking about THE GIRLS OF SUMMER:

* 'In the age of #MeToo, this book is one that will ring true with so many people'

* 'Beautifully written with a tense, emotive plot that will be relatable to so many women'

* 'An excellent debut. Raw, real, and gut-wrenchingly familiar'

* 'Wow wow wow! I am still thinking about it, it's one of those stories that stays with you'

Reviews

  • It's been a long time since I've read such a compelling debut. Beautifully written, transportive, and thought-provoking, THE GIRLS OF SUMMER sizzles with suspense. It's the book I'll be recommending that all my girlfriends pack for their holidays this summer
    Lucy Clarke, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE CASTAWAYS

About the author

Katie Bishop

Katie Bishop is a writer and journalist based in the UK. She grew up in the Midlands before moving to Oxford to work in publishing in her early twenties. Whilst working as an assistant editor she started writing articles in her spare time, going on to be published in the New York Times, Guardian, Independent and Vogue.

Katie started writing The Girls of Summer during the first UK COVID lockdown, after becoming increasingly interested in stories emerging from the #MeToo movement. The novel is inspired by her own experiences of backpacking, and by her interest in how our personal narratives can be reshaped and understood in light of cultural and social changes.

In 2020, Katie moved back to the Midlands, and now lives in Birmingham with her partner. She is a full-time writer.
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