‘Lisa Emanuel writes of family, of love, of anger and desire with lyricism and authority.’  KATHRYN HEYMAN

‘A compelling story about the lengths some of us will go to find belonging.’  KILL YOUR DARLINGS

Sarah is a smart, young lawyer working endless office hours when she falls head over heels for Daniel – handsome, passionate and part of the kind of large, chaotically loving family Sarah longed for as the only child of a single mother.

When Daniel introduces her to a charismatic young couple, Rabbi Menachem Lev and his wife, Chani, despite herself, Sarah is drawn in by their progressive beachside synagogue. By the time the couple move to the Jamison Valley, where Menachem and Chani have established a community of believers, Sarah can’t imagine life without the friendship, purpose and love she’s discovered.

Four years on, youthful fervour has given way to something darker. A series of terrifying truths emerges that tear Sarah’s world apart, and cause her to question everything – her faith, her marriage, and her future.

This intelligent, unusual and gripping debut takes us from a seemingly perfect marriage deep into a closed community and asks, ‘Where would you draw the line?’

‘A captivating excursion into secretive communities and the secrets of the human heart.’  LEE KOFMAN

Shortlisted for the Kill Your Darlings Unpublished Manuscript Award, 2019