The Infamous Gilberts - by Angela Tomaski (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"A thrilling debut that absolutely delivers" (Town & Country) in which the lines between eccentricity and madness, cruelty and love become hilariously, heartbreakingly blurred.

The keys to the mighty Gothic mansion of Thornwalk are about to be handed over to a luxury hotelier. They will spend millions in the restoration, but in doing so, what will be erased?

The reader is invited on a tour of this crumbling estate, guided by an enigmatic narrator. Each room holds a secret, from the bolt on the blue room door to a silver spoon in a wooden box. Wrapped around these seemingly insignificant objects are the stories of the five fatherless children who lived here.

Taking us from the eve of World War II to the early 2000s, Angela Tomaski paints a "droll" (The New Yorker) and indelible portrait of a once-grand family brought to its knees. What begins as a bucolic snapshot of five children playing cricket on the lawn soon unravels as the world becomes a place they no longer recognize. The Infamous Gilberts is the darkly funny tale of an unusual family, lovingly portrayed.

"This dark little novel should be Wes Anderson's next movie...Tomaski puts a quirky spin on Gothic storytelling...with rare control and evident relish." --The New York Times Book Review

Review Quotes

"This dark little novel should be Wes Anderson's next movie... Tomaski puts a quirky spin on Gothic storytelling... with rare control and evident relish." --New York Times Book Review

"A droll yet mournful debut novel." --New Yorker

"A thrilling debut that absolutely delivers." --Town & Country

"A witty, elegant debut... very stylish... I kept thinking of Shirley Jackson." --Minnesota Star-Tribune

"Hilarious at times, heartbreaking at others." --Booklist

"Readers who have wondered what a Jane Austen novel would look like if it had considerably more psychological ugliness should check out The Infamous Gilberts... an entertainingly devious family drama with enough wicked surprises to captivate audiences open to its pleasures." --BookPage

"If Shirley Jackson moved The Addams Family to the English countryside, something like this dark, tongue-in-cheek epic might result... This distinctive debut introduces a wickedly weird new talent." --Kirkus Reviews

"Tomaski debuts with a fresh story of an eccentric English family [and] imbues the narrative with pathos and wit... readers will find much to enjoy." --Publishers Weekly

"How do legendary families fall to ruin? The narrator of this ingenious debut grabs us by the hand and guides us through a crumbling Gothic estate to share the tragic fates of five siblings. The Infamous Gilberts intertwines humor, heartbreak, and mystery in a story about the choices that shape--and shatter--the lives we inherit and build. It kept me laughing, gasping, and guessing from beginning to end." --Heather Aimee O'Neill, author of The Irish Goodbye

"A family saga like no other: gloriously offbeat, darkly comedic, and totally bewitching. A bravura performance." --Sarah Winman, author of Still Life

"The Infamous Gilberts is quite unlike anything I have ever read--a highly imaginative world within a world. Exquisite, unsettling, and utterly unique." --Jessica Stanley, author of Consider Yourself Kissed

"Eccentric and deliciously addictive, The Infamous Gilberts is a gorgeous portrayal of a family caught in a privileged world that no longer exists... moments of heartbreaking pathos come hot on the heels of moments of riotous fun, but it's the bewilderment of a family struggling to make peace with loss that will stay with me the longest." --Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

"Exquisite. A first novel to treasure and inspire. Vivid, poignant, hilarious, and tragic, The Infamous Gilberts is the most rewarding and beautiful book I've read in ages." --Barbara Trapido, author of Brother of the More Famous Jack

"Completely captivating; I absolutely loved it. A compelling, ingenious, mischievous blend of tragedy, comedy, and intrigue." --Nina Stibbe, author of Love Nina

"Funny, and silly, and brilliantly crazy, and so poignant it made me cry." --Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground

About the Author

Angela Tomaski was born in Oxford and raised in Somerset with her four brothers and sisters. She has a daughter and two grandsons and now lives in rural Dorset.