Home

'Absorbing, moving, and alarmingly believable, Home is an unforgettable story about identity, family, and the terrifying dynamics of a cult' Carole Johnstone, author of Mirrorland'Highly engrossing' Heat 'A white-hot gem of a book; brilliantly researched, so gripping and propulsive you’ll want to consume it in one go, but also glowingly, humanly real' Kirstin Innes, author of Scabby QueenSomeone has broken into Zoe’s flat. A man she thought she’d never have to see again.They call him the Hand of God. He knows about her job in the cafe, her life in Dublin, her ex-girlfriend, even the knife she’s hidden under the mattress. She thought she’d left him far behind, along with the cult of the Children and their isolated compound Home – but now he’s found her, and Zoe realises she must go back with him if she's to rescue the sister who helped her escape originally. But returning to Home means going back to the enforced worship and strict gender roles Zoe has long since moved beyond. Back to the abuse and indoctrination she’s fought desperately to overcome... Going back will make her question everything she believed about her past – and risk her hard-won freedom. Can she break free a second time?'An absolute triumph....I found myself holding my breath, hoping for the best for her, while expecting the worst. Highly recommended' Laura Shepperson, author of forthcoming debut The Heroines

Really entertaining and pacy and fun to read, while still playing in that serious emotional territory, A daring debut ... Intoxicating, powerful and very visceral. Stunning prose, very dark but also filled with hope and love centred around identity and the struggle to find a sense of belonging. I was desperate for a happy ending, Absorbing, moving, and alarmingly believable, Home is an unforgettable story about identity, family, and the terrifying dynamics of a cult, Home by Cailean Steed is an absolute triumph, an accomplished and confident debut that is not afraid to examine the dark side of cultish manipulation, while not losing sight of the heart of the story, the vulnerability of those taken advantage of. No-one is more vulnerable than Zoe, the escapee who was born into the cult. I found myself holding my breath, hoping for the best for her, while expecting the worst. Highly recommended, A totally original debut that I couldn’t stop thinking about and talking about while I read. Believable characters with distinct and unforgettable voices that drew me in and kept me reading far too late into the night. A thought-provoking, moving and clever novel that will stay with me

Cailean Steed is a writer, teacher and aspiring dog owner who lives in Helensburgh with their husband and son. They have also resided in Aberdeen and Dublin, and hope one day to live somewhere with less rain. Cailean’s work has been published by New Writing Scotland, Boudicca Press and Barren Magazine. Home is their first novel. Their mother would like them to write something more cheerful.