Age of Consent - Softcover

Leimbach, Marti

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0008167974 ISBN 13: 9780008167974

Publisher: Fourth Estate, 2017

Synopsis

A powerful, compelling, topical novel about a relationship between a radio DJ and a teenage girl from the author of DYING YOUNG and DANIEL ISN’T TALKING

Radio DJ Craig Kirtz took a shine to Bobbie when she was only thirteen years old, embroiling her in a secret life of sex and drugs.

He remembers their relationship as a love affair. She remembers it as abuse. Thirty years later, she
returns to her hometown to testify against him.

He denies the charges. And he has a witness Bobbie could not have anticipated – her own mother, who is now Craig’s wife.

About this title

Review:

‘An account of estrangement between mother and daughter and the toll abuse can take on a family ... woven with pain and fractured relationships ... The story will keep readers turning pages until the bitter end ... Fans of Jodi Picoult may enjoy’ Library Journal

‘A nuanced portrayal of a mother and daughter at once linked and divided by a ferociously exploitative man ... The novel brings memorable depth to issues often oversimplified’ Publishers Weekly

‘Leimbach is known for tackling tough subjects in an unflinching manner, and this novel is no exception ... The descriptions of abuse don’t come across as gratuitous or overdone ... Readers who enjoy issue-driven women’s fiction―and who can handle the dark subject matter―will be moved by Bobbie’s story’ Booklist

‘A gripping if uncomfortable novel’ Mail on Sunday

‘An unflinching look at sexual abuse from an author who isn't afraid of difficult subjects ... Leimbach offers a horribly believable depiction of a child ensnared by a predator. In giving a voice to Bobbie's mother as well as Bobbie, she foregoes the urge to simply blame a woman who failed to protect her daughter ... Devastatingly powerful’ Kirkus Reviews

‘What makes Marti Leimbach's new novel so chilling is not only its tale of predator and prey, but the story of the mother and daughter, entangled in its web. It is so terrifying to see a mother in denial, a daughter who can't and won't forget. As Leimbach weaves her story, moving between past and present, this thrilling novel forces us to ask to whom do we owe our loyalties – to those we love, or to ourselves’ Mary Morris

‘Three people: a young girl, her mother, and the man who has seduced them both. Leimbach explores the ambiguities of loss, love, and desire, and plumbs the dark places where they meet. At the center of the story is an illicit, illegal affair, the consequences of which never really stop reverberating. Age of Consent is spellbinding’ Whitney Otto

About the Author:

Marti Leimbach was born in 1963 in Washington, DC. She has written several other novels, one of which, Dying Young, was turned into a major feature film in 1991 staring Julia Roberts. Marti now lives in the UK.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fourth Estate
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0008167974
• ISBN 13: 9780008167974
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336