City of Crows - by Chris Womersley (Paperback)

About the Book

"Set in seventeenth-century France--a country in the thrall of dark magic, its social fabric weakened by years of plague--Chris Womersley's City of Crows ... tells the story of Charlotte Picot, a young woman from the country forced to venture to the fearsome city of Paris in search of her only-remaining son, Nicolas. Fate (or coincidence) places the quick-witted charlatan Adam Lesage in her path"--Publisher marketing.

Book Synopsis

"Signs, wonders, and witchcraft beset 17th-century France" in this "grim but spellbinding" novel of a mother searching for her son inspired by true events (Kirkus Reviews).

France, 1673. A young woman from the country, Charlotte Picot must venture to the fearsome city of Paris in search of her last remaining son, Nicolas. Either fate or mere coincidence places the quick-witted charlatan Adam Lesage in her path. Adam is newly released from the prison galleys and on the hunt for treasure. But Charlotte, believing him to be a spirit she has summoned from the underworld, enlists his help in finding her child. Charlotte and Adam--comically ill-matched yet essential to one another--journey to Paris, then known as the City of Crows.
Evoking pre-revolutionary France with all its ribaldry, superstition, and intrigue, "Womersley weaves a haunting tale of the drastic lengths people will go to achieve their deepest desires" (Publishers Weekly).

"A gothic masterpiece."--Better Read Than Dead

Review Quotes

Praise for City of Crows

"By interweaving the trivial, the humorous and the grisliest of the grisly, Chris Womersley straps us in for a shivery ride."--Katharine Grant, The New York Times Book Review

"Womersley weaves a haunting tale of the drastic lengths people will go to achieve their deepest desires." --Publishers Weekly

"Chris Womersley (Cairo) has expertly blended historical facts about Paris with his story told in alternating points of view. [...] The overall effect is a lavish feast for those who love specifics. The main characters are likable and believable, while the supporting characters add their own flair to the tale. Superstition, fear and magic abound in this historical tale of mistaken identity and of a mother's love for her child, making for a read that entertains and informs at the same time."--Shelf Awareness

"Fascinating historical truths clash with swashbuckler tropes. . . Worth reading for the writing alone." --Kirkus Reviews

"Basing his novel on actual characters, Womersley weaves an intriguing tale, blending coincidence with the question of magical intervention. [...] By the end (which leaves room for lively debate), Charlotte is convinced of the power of her magic, and this reader is convinced of the magic of Womersley." --Historical Novels Review

"A brilliantly compelling read." --Australian Women's Weekly

"City of Crows is opulent with ancient ritual significances . . . Charlotte Picot has astonishing strength and a marvelous dignity." --Carmel Bird, The Australian

"Haunting." --The Australian

"Womersley's writing is poetic and original; his insights into human character are true." --The Monthly

"Womersley is one of the unrepentantly daring and original talents in the landscape of Australian fiction." --The Sydney Morning Herald

"A beautifully written book from a master storyteller." --Australian Book Review

"An immersive tale." --Martin Shaw, Books and Publishing

"City of Crows is a novel of rare craftsmanship, with an enthralling plot, empathetic characters, a fascinating setting--in terms of both time and place--and the darkly dramatic appeal of the occult and the supernatural." --Good Reading

"A novel that entrances you, bewitches you and keeps you thoroughly enthralled." --Boomerang Books

"Nothing short of dazzling. Hieronymus Bosch in literary form. This book is fabulous." --Deborah Crabtree, Readings Book Store

About the Author

Chris Womersley's previous novels have been awarded the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction, the Indie Award for Best Fiction, the ABIA Award for Literary Fiction, and have been shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, The Age Book of the Year, and the ALS Gold Medal for Literature. His short fiction has appeared in Granta, The Best Australian Stories, Meanjin and Griffith Review. Womersley lives in Melbourne with his wife and son.