The Pursuit of William Abbey - by Claire North (Paperback)

About the Book

A young and naive English doctor witnesses the lynching of a local boy by the white colonists. As the child dies, his mother curses the doctor. He begins to understand what the curse means when the shadow of the dead boy starts following him across the world. And if it catches him, the person he loves most in the world will die.

Book Synopsis

A hauntingly powerful novel about how the choices we make can stay with us forever, by the award-winning author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August and 84K.
South Africa in the 1880s. A young and naive English doctor by the name of William Abbey witnesses the lynching of a local boy by the white colonists. As the child dies, his mother curses William.
William begins to understand what the curse means when the shadow of the dead boy starts following him across the world. It never stops, never rests. It can cross oceans and mountains. And if it catches him, the person he loves most in the world will die.
Gripping, moving, and thought-provoking, The Pursuit of William Abbey proves once again that Claire North is one of the most innovative voices in modern fiction.

Previous books by Claire North: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry AugustTouchThe Sudden Appearance of HopeThe End of the Day84KThe Gameshouse
Previous books written as Kate Griffin: Matthew Swift novels: A Madness of AngelsThe Midnight MayorThe Neon CourtThe Minority Council
Magicals Anonymous novels: Stray SoulsThe Glass God

Review Quotes

"Another captivating novel from one of the most intriguing and genre-bending novelists currently working in the intersection between thriller and science fiction."--Booklist (starred review) on 84K

"Claire North is one hell of a writer."--C. L. Taylor, author of The Accident on Touch

"Claire North's writing is terrific, smart, and entertaining."--Patrick Ness on The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

"Evocative, thought-provoking... I'll read anything she writes."--Omnivoracious on 84K

"In rich, compelling prose, North weaves together the threads of imperial control, ideological conviction, love and the thrill of power. Readers will remain eager to the end for answers."--Shelf Awareness on The Pursuit of William Abbey

"North has established a reputation for tense, dense, science fiction/fantasy-inflected thrillers that defy facile explanations... Well-paced, brilliant and balanced."--New York Times on The Sudden Appearance of Hope

"North is an exciting voice in contemporary fantasy."--San Francisco Chronicle on The End of the Day

"North is an original and even dazzling writer."--Kirkus on 84K

"There is no piece of The Pursuit that is forgettable ... It is beautiful. It has, buried deep inside, a hopeful heart."--NPR

"True love, life, and death, what's worth dying-or killing-for: It's all here in this gripping, bloody, and haunting novel."--Kirkus on The Pursuit of William Abbey

"Wholly original and hauntingly beautiful. North is a writer to watch."--Kirkus on The End of the Day

About the Author

Claire North is a pseudonym for Catherine Webb, who wrote several novels in various genres before publishing her first major work as Claire North, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. It was a critically acclaimed success, receiving rave reviews and an Audie nomination, and was included in the Washington Post's Best Books of the Year list. Her more recent novel, The Sudden Appearance of Hope, won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 2017. Catherine currently works as a theatre lighting designer and is a fan of big cities, urban magic, Thai food and graffiti-spotting. She lives in London.