Tell Me What I Am

Hardback Published on: 01/06/2023
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Synopsis

** SHORTLISTED FOR THE ENCORE AWARD **

'Beautiful, haunting.' LOUISE KENNEDY
'Vividly real . . . There's love here as well as pain.' MARIAN KEYES
'A sure-footed and emotionally complex novel . . . absorbing.' IRISH TIMES
'I loved it.' LIZ NUGENT

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Two women, wrenched apart by a terrible crime, must find a way back to each other

When Deena Garvey disappears in 2004, she leaves behind a daughter and a sister.

Deena's daughter grows up in the country. She learns how to hunt, when to seed the garden, how to avoid making her father angry. Never to ask about her absent mother.

Deena's sister stays stuck in the city, getting desperate. She knows the man responsible for her sister's disappearance, but she can't prove it. Not yet.

Over fourteen years, four hundred miles apart, these two women slowly begin to unearth the secrets and lies at the heart of their family, and the history of power and control that has shaped them both in such different ways.

But can they reach each other in time? And will the truth finally answer the question of their lives:

What really happened to Deena Garvey?

'Haunting and deeply moving.' OBSERVER
'Propulsive and richly atmospheric.' IRISH INDEPENDENT
'An engrossing, deftly-told story with an aching secret at its heart, this is a profoundly moving novel of family and women standing strong together.' LISA BALLANTYNE
'Sharp, poignant, thrilling and moving.' CHRIS WHITAKER
'Compelling . . . Mannion writes with a lyrical economy that stands out, and always shows a deep empathy for her well-drawn characters.' IRISH EXAMINER
'A wrenching portrait of the umbilical bond between mother and child and, more powerfully still, an icily persuasive account of the subtle dark arts of male coercion and abuse.' DAILY MAIL

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:

'A brilliantly told story, engrossing, with love, pain, heartbreak and darkness. The characterisation was excellent and the plot was moving and gently woven.' 5* reader review
'I raced through... Well-written, incredibly tense and chilling in parts.' 5* reader review
'A book to savour and appreciate as well as enjoy.' 5* reader review
'This is such a powerful story of love and family. It kept me awake desperate to find out what had happened to affect them all so badly.' 5* reader review
'This is a beautifully written novel with powerfully drawn characters.' 5* reader review
'Had me hooked... Loved it.' 5* reader review
'Wow what a book!' 5* reader review

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Faber & Faber
  • ISBN: 9780571358779
  • Number of pages: 336
  • Dimensions: 234 x 153 x 24 mm
  • Weight: 543g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Tell Me What I Am
Engaging family drama
A family drama told over multiple time lines which I found quite confusing at first. Deena is part of a close knit family until she meets Lucas, who is a c... READ MORE
Dana Farren
Tell Me What I Am
Powerful and emotive read
When I was offered the opportunity to read Tell Me What I Am, having enjoyed the author's previous novel, I was delighted. The author's first novel was one... READ MORE
Amanda Holyoak
Tell Me What I Am
young girl brought up by coercive father after mother goes missing
Deena is missing. She left for work but didn’t arrive. Her ex takes custody of their daughter, cuts off Deena’s family and moves out of state. Suspiciou... READ MORE
Denis
Tell Me What I Am
Excellent, satisfying storytelling
I really enjoyed this book which I chose because of a recommendation by Louise Kennedy who wrote the incredible Trespasses. Love finding new books and auth... READ MORE
Megan Kennedy
Tell Me What I Am
Powerful engrossing read
I( read this book courtesy of NetGalley. A powerful read whilst being totally engrossing. It is written over several timelines and involves Rub, the main... READ MORE
Grey Lady
Tell Me What I Am
A very sad but very real story
This was a very sad story about a controlling husband/father and his young daughter. The father manages to get control of the child after her mother suppos... READ MORE
Patricia Moren
Tell Me What I Am
Engaging
Slow start but thoroughly engaging once it got going. It took a while to get used to the chapters skipping back and forth between different years and diffe... READ MORE
RubyToo
Tell Me What I Am
Grief and hope in a beautiful read
When Deena Garvey disappears on her way to work, leaving behind her beloved four-year-old daughter, Ruby, her sister Nessa knows who is responsible. Deena ... READ MORE
Jackie Murrell
Tell Me What I Am
Excellent storytelling
Deena and Nessa are very close. Two sisters, from a close knit Irish/Italian family who all live in Philadelphia. When Deena gets together with Lucas, bo... READ MORE
June Walters