Episode 19: The House at the Edge of the World by Julia Rochester

Host Cyd Oppenheimer talks with author Julia Rochester about her novel The House at the Edge of the World, and about escape, re-invention, and the power of storytelling; guest readers Tui Sutherland and Sophfronia Scott join Oppenheimer to discuss fable and myth, and water as metaphor.

The House at the Edge of the World begins like this: "When I was eighteen, my father fell off a cliff. It was a stupid way to die." Thus we are introduced to our misanthropic narrator, Morwenna Venton. After her father's fateful fall, Morwenna and her twin, Corwin, leave the house where they have been raised to venture forth into the world, something neither their father nor their father's father ever chose to do. But years later they are pulled back, struggling to uncover the secrets of their past. In the course of doing so, this beautiful, haunting book tackles big themes: Is it possible to re-invent oneself? Is it desirable? What is human connection and how is it forged? Where do words serve us and where do they fail? 

Julia Rochester talks about escape, re-invention, and the power of storytelling. And, she tells us her original title for the book.

Host Cyd Oppenheimer and guest readers Tui Sutherland and Sophfronia Scott discuss fable and myth, book-binding, and water as metaphor.

Available at:

Amazon UK
Foyles
LocalBookshops.co.uk