Bottled goods (Paperback original)

Longlisted for The Women's Prize for Fiction 2019, The Republic of Consciousness Prize 2019 and The People's Book Prize 2018.

When Alina's brother-in-law defects to the West, she and her husband become persons of interest to the secret services, causing both of their careers to come grinding to a halt. As the strain takes its toll on their marriage, Alina turns to her aunt for help - the wife of a communist leader and a secret practitioner of the old folk ways. Set in 1970's communist Romania, this novella-in-flash draws upon magic realism to weave a tale of everyday troubles, that can't be put down.

'Enjoyable to read' -Dolly Alderton, author of Everything I Know About Love

'A story to savour, to smile at, to rage against and to weep over' -Zoe Gilbert, author of Folk

'Sophie van Llewyn has brought light into an era which cast a long shadow' -Joanna Campbell, author of Instructions for the Working Day

'A dizzying, daring window on life in Ceausescu's Romania' -Stephanie Hutton, author of Three Sisters of Stone

'Sophie van Llewyn's stunning debut novella shows us there is no dystopian fiction as frightening as that which draws on history' -Christina Dalcher, author of VOX

'A must-read by a masterful writer' - Christopher Allen, author of Other Household Toxins