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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
Domestic violence — depicted with increasing severity — is the novel's darkest subject
Language
Some
Adult language throughout — consistent with Moriarty's contemporary literary fiction style
Sexual Content
Some
Extramarital affairs are depicted
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking is pervasive in the affluent social world of the story
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Celeste's complex psychology as a domestic violence victim — the way she rationalizes, the shame, and the danger — is the novel's most emotionally sophisticated element
What this book is about
Madeline, Celeste, and Jane are three mothers at a coastal Australian primary school. They form an unlikely friendship as their lives intersect in ways none of them anticipated. Behind the glamour of the school community lies domestic violence, infidelity, a rape, and a death. Moriarty's novel unfolds in reverse from a fateful school event.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Domestic violence — depicted with increasing severity; central to the plot
A rape backstory — handled with care but clearly stated
A death and its consequences — the novel's central mystery
Social pressure and image maintenance in affluent communities
Reader Verification
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