The Illness Lesson

<p><b>'A modern scream of female outrage. A masterpiece' ELIZABETH GILBERT</b><br><b><br>'Astoundingly original . . . belongs on the shelf with your Margaret Atwood' <i>NEW YORK TIMES<br></i></b><br><b>Haunting intense and irresistible The Illness Lesson is an extraordinary debut about women's minds and bodies and the time-honoured tradition of doubting both.</b><br><br>In 1871 at an elite new school designed to shape the minds of young women the inscrutable and defiant Eliza Bell has been overwhelmed by an inexplicable illness.<br><br>Before long the other girls start to succumb to its peculiar symptoms - rashes tics<br>night wanderings and fits.<br><br>As the disease takes hold teacher Caroline Hood tries desperately to hide her own symptoms but<br>the powers-that-be turn to a sinister physician with dubious methods.<br><br>Does Caroline have the courage to confront the all-male all-knowing authorities of her world<br>and protect the young women in her care?<br><br><br><b>'You want to know how horrifying things happened while decent people looked on and did nothing? Read this novel' MARY BETH KEANE</b><br><br><b>'Subtle clever suspenseful . . . builds to a shocking climax' DIANE SETTERFIELD</b><br><br><b>'A S<i>unday Times </i>Book to Read in 2020: A classic ghost story for fans of <i>Picnic at Hanging Rock</i> Deborah Levy Jeffrey Eugenides' <i>SUNDAY TIMES STYLE</i></b></p>