In a Fishbone Church

Catherine Chidgey's acclaimed debut, "In a Fishbone Church," unfurls a poignant multi-generational narrative sparked by the death of Clifford Stilton. His meticulously kept diaries, initially stowed away by his son Gene, refuse to remain silent, subtly permeating the lives of his descendants. Clifford, a man of the natural world, imparted to Gene the arts of rock and fossil hunting, alongside the stark realities of killing birds and fish. This complex inheritance is then passed to Gene's daughters, Bridget and Christina, who develop their own unique methods of unearthing the past, meticulously documenting life, and confronting the hidden forms of death. Their mother, Etta, adds another layer with her distinct tales of a 1940s childhood. The novel masterfully spans continents and decades, weaving from the vibrant Berlin rave scene to the traditional Canterbury duck season, from the rural austerity of the 1950s to the bustling cosmopolitan present. These five vivid lives coalesce into a deeply affecting and exhilarating exploration of memory, legacy, and the intricate threads that bind a family across time and space.