The First Book of Calamity Leek
  • Published: 7 February 2013
  • ISBN: 9781448134953
  • Imprint: Cornerstone Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 304

The First Book of Calamity Leek

Formats & editions
EBook
7 Feb 2013
Paperback
15 Jan 2014
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Wonderfully strange. - Mark Haddon, author of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME

Brilliantly inventive and original. This debut novel tells the story of Calamity Leek: a girl who has never been allowed beyond the garden wall, until now.

Lying in her hospital bed, broken, burned and scared, Calamity still believes that Aunty loved her. For as long as she can remember, Calamity, along with her sixteen sisters, lived in a Garden behind the Wall of Safekeeping. Like it said in Aunty's Appendix on the first page of the Ps: 'Everything has a purpose', and they were being trained for a very special one. In the Ns the Appendix said, 'Nosiness leads to nonsense'. As Calamity sees it, this is what led to their Garden's downfall, because when the sisters started questioning what was outside the Wall, they started questioning what was happening inside it too.

But doubt is contagious.
Watching your world crumble is frightening.
And people who are frightened can be dangerous.
  • Published: 7 February 2013
  • ISBN: 9781448134953
  • Imprint: Cornerstone Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 304
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About the author

Paula Lichtarowicz

Paula Lichtarowicz’s debut The First Book of Calamity Leek was described as ‘hypnotic…one of the hottest reads of the year’ (Elle) and 'a mash-up of Roald Dahl and Margaret Atwood' (Lady). She lives in London and works in television production.

Also by Paula Lichtarowicz

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Praise for The First Book of Calamity Leek

A compelling page turning read

Style magazine

Deeply perplexing . . . as hints of the reality behind the fantasy start to emerge, the story develops its own peculiar and intense momentum.

Nick Rennison, Sunday Times

Like a mash-up of Margaret Atwood and Roald Dahl . . . once picked up it’s hard to put down

Lady

Wonderfully strange

Mark Haddon, author of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME

A fantastic novel, and a really exciting and engaging new voice. The fact that the reader has to work hard to understand this world makes it all the more compelling, and it packs quite an emotional punch when we realise what's going on. I couldn't put it down, and loved the voice of Calamity, and her vulnerability and reliance on her world, while the reader could see it cracking wide open, was heartbreaking.

Jess Richards, author of SNAKE ROPES

This hypnotic debut novel - one of the hottest reads of the year - is no ordinary book. It combines pitch-perfect teen angst with a fantastical setting and premise; as much a hymn to reading as a gripping story.

Elle

This is a clever, highly original and complex coming-of-age story. Lichtarowicz deserves praise for fearless inventiveness and the zest of her fast-paced writing

Metro

This is an utterly original, intriguing and intense book which thrills the reader with its story and language. This is the start of a stunning career. Paula L is to be congratulated hugely - I am sent about 20 books a week, so many of them simply copying what has gone before, or following very obvious trends, and it's so good to encounter real individuality and freshness and an identifiable, strong, creative voice.

Bidisha