Compensation

A compelling, unusual and excellent novel, beautifully balancing ambiguity and warmth * Sarah Moss *
A darkly funny novel of dangerous choices, and a brilliant study of human nature. I loved it * Claire Fuller *
The world of Compensation somehow holds at its luminous centre grief, desire, societal failures, power, longing, cruelty and a grim, irresistible humour. Tender, troubling and stunningly observed. * Rebecca Perry, author of May We Feed the King *
Wonderful, addictive, and devastating, Compensation will gut you with a description of loss, and have you laughing seconds later. It’s a mad, uniquely brilliant novel, sweet and cutting in the same breath. Reading this book is like overhearing the wildest, most scintillating conversation of your life — you’ll never want to turn away. Absolute banger * Grace Murray, author of Blank Canvas *
Equal parts beautiful and bonkers, Compensation is an exhilarating joyride through the madness of grief and the gift of loving * Tobi Coventry, author of He’s the Devil *
It is just as well that obsession is at the core of this keenly observed novel because I became entirely consumed by it, reading late into the night, almost desperately. It is a distorted, thrilling, uncomfortable love story that is absolutely beautifully written, tender and ugly, funny and horrifying. Both unexpected and inevitable, like skidding on black ice, I was hooked by the plot and completely at its mercy as it gathered momentum. It is droll and sharp, with a remarkable command of voice. Augustine Cerf is one to watch. * Emma van Straaten, author of This Immaculate Body *
Absolutely brilliant. I loved this novel about how corruptive a mother’s love can be. Deliciously dark, and also incredibly tender, Cerf draws parallels between surrogacy and immigration, raises questions about ownership, embodiment, and belonging, and takes an unflinching look at how grief can become monstrous. Finally, we have a modern successor to Frankenstein * Ling Ling Huang, author of Natural Beauty *
A daring, hilarious, and profound ode to family, dysfunction, and what it means to belong to a person and a place. I was enthralled from the first page by these one-of-a-kind characters, their delusions and desires, and the bizarre and yet strangely human circumstances they find themselves in. I have never read a book about pregnancy, parenthood, wealth, and immigration status that handles each of these things with the equal care and nuance that Cerf commands. I found myself laughing, crying, rooting for characters and outcomes I never expected, and shocked by the ultimate twist that I did not see coming. Compensation is a glorious novel that is as beautifully written as it is impossible to put down, a combination that requires a uniquely deft hand. * Leila Mottley, author of Nightcrawling *
Clever and beautifully written, with humour and warmth, Compensation offers an assured, singular look at grief and privilege * Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls *
What an elegant, unnerving braid Augustine Cerf has woven in Compensation! Here we have threads of grief, desire, shame, delusion, deception, and yes, even true love, all roped together and swinging madly through our contemporary moment. It’s a lightning bolt of a book, and like lightning, you’ll recall its startling brightness well after the last page is through * Emily Nemens, author of Clutch *

Augustine Cerf is a London-based writer with an award-winning career in advertising behind her. Compensation is her debut novel.

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