After a traumatic break two years ago with her family in Slovakia, Mirka finds to her surprise that she is happy at Fairmont Hall. Mirka is swiftly commandeered by Richard for his latest money-making enterprise, taxidermy, and soon surpasses him in skill. Richard and Sophie are chaotic, drunken, frequently outrageous but also warm, generous and kind to Mirka, despite their argumentative and turbulent marriage.

When Mirka gets a job in a country house in rural England, she has no idea of the struggle she faces to make sense of a very English couple, and a way of life that is entirely alien to her. But they could be anything, they could be completely crazy. Richard and Sophie sounded like good names for good people. I realised I knew nothing about these people. I had imagined arriving at the house so many times, but it was never like this. I opened my mouth to say something but she ran up the steps and into the house. Its command of tone, narrative and character is so assured, and both its wit and perceptiveness about a certain kind of English life make it a joy to read' Amanda CraigĮnglish Animals is a brilliantly assured debut that fans of Nina Stibbe's writing will love. It's a long time since I've enjoyed any debut novel as much as English Animals. Hyland, author of the Man Booker-shortlisted Carry Me Down But when she tells Sophie that she is gay, everything she values is put in danger and she must learn the hard way what she really believes in.'A beautiful and bold debut' M.J.

Its command of tone, narrative and character is so assured, and both its wit and perceptiveness about a certain kind of English life make it a joy to read' Amanda Craig English Animals is a brilliantly assured debut that fans of Nina Stibbe's writing will love.

English Animals by Laura Kaye