The Lamb, Lucy Rose
The Lamb by Lucy Rose was one of my most anticipated books to come out this year. It has blasted into the literary world with the sharp tang of dripping blood and fresh meat, and I heard nothing but great things about this novel, which whetted my appetite even more.
Young Margot and her mother Ruth live in the remote Cumbrian countryside where Ruth lures lost travellers that she dubs ‘strays’ into their cottage where they are drugged, swiftly dispatched, dismembered and eaten with a side of Yorkshire puddings and gravy.
One day, a young woman named Eden arrives at the cottage and has brief potential to be a stray, but it quickly becomes apparent that Ruth has other plans for Eden. Margot has to watch from the sidelines as she is slowly usurped by Eden and replaced in her mother’s affections. But just how far will the new and passionate relationship between Ruth and Eden go, and what will happen to Margot once she is on the outside looking in?
The Lamb is a contemporary tale of feminine rage and appetite told with a folkloric edge. Lucy Rose is amazing at creating a dark atmosphere of dread and unease, made all the more sinister by the fact that the narrative is told from the point of view of a child with such lyricism, in stark juxtaposition to the gore. The female characters take centre stage with the few male characters firmly on the periphery, and Ruth and Eden break all female stereotypes in such a bold and enthralling way. Their relationship is toxic and dangerous and innocent, and young Margot is in their line of sight – the titular lamb.
This is a book that lingers with you long after you have finished reading. It has the capacity to turn your stomach while luring you in with its lyrical prose, and the ending was absolutely everything I hoped it would be! Superb.
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