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Start giftingThe Madwoman Upstairs
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Learn moreIn Catherine Lowell’s smart and original debut novel, the only remaining descendant of the Brontë family embarks on a modern-day literary scavenger hunt to find the family’s long-rumored secret estate, using only the clues her eccentric father left behind and the Brontës’ own novels.
Samantha Whipple is used to stirring up speculation wherever she goes. Since her father’s untimely death, she is the presumed heir to a long-rumored trove of diaries, paintings, letters, and early novel drafts passed down from the Brontë family—a hidden fortune never revealed to anyone outside the family but endlessly speculated on by Brontë scholars and fanatics. Samantha, however, has never seen this alleged estate, and for all she knows, it’s just as fictional as Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights.
Yet everything changes when Samantha enrolls at Oxford University and long-lost objects from the past begin rematerializing in her life. Her father’s distinctive copy of Jane Eyre, which should have perished in the fire that claimed his life, mysteriously appears on Samantha’s bed. Annotated in her father’s handwriting, the book is the first of many clues in an elaborate scavenger hunt derived from the world’s greatest literature. With the help of a handsome but inscrutable professor, Samantha must plunge into a vast literary mystery and an untold family legacy, one that can only be solved by decoding the clues hidden within the Brontës’ own writing.
For readers who devoured The Weird Sisters and Special Topics in Calamity Physics, The Madwoman Upstairs is a suspenseful, exhilarating debut by an exciting new talent who offers a moving exploration of what it means when the greatest truth is, in fact, fiction.
Catherine Lowell received her BA degree in creative writing from Stanford University, where she was awarded the Mary Steinbeck Dekker Award for Fiction and received two Stanford University arts grants. She is the vice president of content creation at the Ivy Company.
Katie Koster grew up in the town of Eastchester, New York, and attended Boston College, where she majored in theater and math. After college, Katie returned to her New York and embarked on the full-time two-year acting program at the William Esper Studio, studying the Meisner Technique under Joel Rooks and Suzanne Esper. She continued her vocal training by studying privately with Carolyn Paulus, acting in musicals, and joining a Swedish choir. More recently, she has discovered a love for improv, puppets, and Los Angeles, where she now lives.
Reviews
“A mystery, a love story, and a very dark comedy…about the traces that literature and our ancestors leave in us, and it is about memory as a token of love.”
“You’ll find yourself laughing out loud even as she lures you deeper and deeper into this delicious mystery.”
“Quirky characters and unpredictable plot twists make The Madwoman Upstairs a charming and memorable read.”
“Part mystery, part picaresque, Catherine Lowell’s The Madwoman Upstairs is a smartly conceived first novel.”
“[A] father’s legacy sets the scene for gothic intrigue…in Catherine Lowell’s irresistibly clever Oxford debut.”
“For those who like their Brontë with a side of wry, turn to the hilarious The Madwoman Upstairs.”
“[A]piquant paean to the Brontë sisters.”
“Smart, clever, and properly Gothic…Deftly, Lowell combines a rollicking treasure hunt with a wickedly dark story.”
“A delightful reminder that how we read fiction matters.”
“Narrator Katie Koster’s charming performance sweeps listeners into this well-paced story…Koster’s impressive emotional range captures Samantha’s complex personality. She flawlessly portrays the girl’s cheekiness as a cover for embarrassment and insecurity and perfectly captures her other emotions as she learns more about her famous cousins, her father’s youth, and her own heart. Using an expressive, relaxed style, Koster connects listeners to the fun of Samantha’s adventures. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
“The story line takes readers on a crazy ride of clues and reveals interesting facts about the Brontë family in the process. Lowell has hit it out of the ballpark with this novel.”
“Samantha’s journey through sorrow and even a little obsessive madness, coupled with the reality of the love story she gets wrapped up in, are stunningly representative of a young woman’s path to happiness and peace…Lowell crafts a first novel that is as enthralling as it is heartbreaking.”
“An enjoyable academic romp that successfully combines romance and intrigue, one that benefits from never taking itself too seriously.”
“An entertaining and ultimately sweet story.”
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