Life Cycle of a Moth by Rowe Irvin

LONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2026
AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT OF 2025

'Astonishing' LUCY ROSE
'Biting and rich' MOLLY AITKEN
'Unforgettable' OBSERVER
'A novel of rare power' GABRIELLE GRIFFITHS

Myma, do you hear it? Myma, do you hear? Myma?

Maya and Daughter live in complete isolation in a secluded woodland, their days aligned with the light and changing seasons, a complex pattern of routine and ritual.

One day, when Daughter is almost sixteen, a red-haired stranger steps into the confines of their territory. Where there was always two, suddenly there are three - and the carefully constructed world that Maya has built to keep her daughter safe may not survive it.