These seeming opposites who agree on nothing soon find themselves inexorably drawn together and torn apart-an intense relationship that will change both of their lives in ways entirely unexpected. But unlike Cora, this man of faith is convinced the rumors are caused by moral panic, a flight from true belief. Eager to investigate, she is introduced to local vicar William Ransome. A keen amateur naturalist with no patience for religion or superstition, Cora is immediately enthralled, and certain that what the local people think is a magical sea beast may be a previously undiscovered species. After nearly 300 years, the mythical Essex Serpent is said to have returned, taking the life of a young man on New Year’s Eve. While admiring the sites, Cora learns of an intriguing rumor that has arisen further up the estuary, of a fearsome creature said to roam the marshes claiming human lives. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space in the wake of the funeral, Cora leaves London for a visit to coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive eleven-year old son, Francis, and the boy’s nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend. This is a novel where every sentence has been wrapped in layer upon layer of velvet, in. Wed at nineteen, this woman of exceptional intelligence and curiosity was ill-suited for the role of society wife. The best word to describe Melmoth, the latest novel from Essex Serpent author Sarah Perry, is lush. When Cora Seaborne’s brilliant, domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness: her marriage was not a happy one.

Winner of the British Book Awards Fiction Book of the Year and overall Book of the Year, selected as the Waterstones Book of the Year, and a Costa Book Award Finalist.Īn exquisitely talented young British author makes her American debut with this highly acclaimed historical novel, set in late nineteenth-century England, about an intellectually minded young widow, a pious vicar, and a rumored mythical serpent that explores questions about science and religion, skepticism, and faith, independence and love.

Sarah perry new book