Jamrach's Menagerie

‘One of the best stories I’ve ever read. [Birch] tells the most extraordinarily good story. A completely original book.’ – A. S. Byatt‘In Jamrach’s Menagerie, Carol Birch quickly sucks you into a world of the senses, from the filthy streets of Victorian London to the rolling hills of the South Seas. Jaffy Brown, the gifted narrator at the center of this mythic tale, rivals David Copperfield and Ishmael of Moby-Dick with his gift for storytelling. His ‘rare old time’ becomes, in due course, a fable of friendship, and a tribute to human survival. What a beautifully written and engaging novel!’ – Jay Parini‘Never mind not being able to put it down—there is a 100-page section in Jamrach’s Menagerie in which you will not be able to breathe. Rarely have I read a book that so deftly marries high literary value with unbearable suspense.’ – Robert Hough‘This beautifully written exploration of friendship and human survival goes well beyond the two historical events upon which it is based to give us an engrossing tale that plums the depths of faith, trust and survival.’ * Good Reading *

Carol Birch is the author of ten previous novels including Scapegallows (2008) and Turn Again Home (2003), which was longlisted for the Booker Prize. She has also won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and the David Higham Award. She lives in the north of England.

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