The Quelling

Addie and Dorian have always been together. Theyre clever, beautifuland hopelessly violent. Diagnosed with a rare psychiatric condition and accused of murder in childhood, the sisters have spent most of their lives in a locked ward under the supervision of eccentric researcher Dr. Lark. Now on the cusp of adulthood, Addie has a plan: start a new family, to replace the one she lost. Dorian struggles to quell her violent tendencies in time to help raise her sisters child. But Dr. Lark sees these patients as key to the completion of his revolutionary cure, and he will not allow Addies absurd ideas to get in the way. As his treatments become increasingly bizarre, they put Addie and Dorians safety at risk. The girls only lifeline may be Ellie, a ward nurse with troubles of her own, whos never felt the need to protect anyoneuntil now. Harrowing and bittersweet, at times claustrophobic, this gritty debut explores the fragility of familial bonds and the sometimes intractable tension between freedom and safety.