Bright I Burn

‘Extraordinary . . . Some of the best prose I've read’
ELAINE FEENEY        

‘Spellbinding witch literature . . . A stunning rendition of one fierce Irish woman's voice pitted against the patriarchal power constructs of Medieval Ireland’
ANYA BERGMAN        

‘Aitken is a distinct, singular, stunning voice in historical fiction, and Bright I Burn is a triumph. It took my breath away’
JENNY MUSTARD        

‘A gorgeous, blazing novel, that makes history crackle to life. Fans of Maggie Farrell’s Hamnet or A.K. Blakemore’s The Manningtree Witches will love Aitken’s complex, sensual anti-heroine’
CLARE POLLARD        

‘I was captivated. Every sentence reads like poetry. A stunning, magical, beguiling book’
HUMA QURESHI        

‘Gripping, poetic, a glorious story of a remarkable woman's passion and her revenge’
LOUISA REID        

‘Beautifully told, full of passion and fire, Aitken evokes a vivid sense of time and place through her powerful depiction of a woman determined to maintain her position in a society driven by men. Stunning’
JENNY QUINTANA        

‘An incandescent story, ablaze with the passion and determination of a woman centuries ahead of her time’
POLLY CROSBY        

‘A lushly fevered tale of marriage, murder and moneylending . . . Haunting and powerful’
JANE HEALEY        

‘Darkly atmospheric, this beautiful novel transported me straight to Medieval Ireland’
HALEH AGAR        

‘Aitken’s beguiling lyricism reminds us of the deeper truths that linger in the shadows of the riverbank, at the edge of the woods’
KAREN POWELL        

‘Bright, bold and riotous . . . The prose is distinct and memorable from an author who is unafraid to breathe life and humanity into history and legend’
SOPHIE PARKES        

‘This is lustrous elemental writing, full of rich earth, smouldering flames and roiling waters - which left me gasping for air. It consumed me like a fire’
KATIE HALE        

‘A story of power and destruction, that surprised me at every turn . . . We need narratives like these, which bring the past to life in new ways and challenge us to think differently about women and their influence’
INDIA RAKUSEN        

‘Exciting and triumphant . . . There’s poetry here, in this lyrical, deeply human, fiercely feminist story. A book that burns brighter than even its title suggests’
NYDIA HETHERINGTON        

Praise for The Island Child:

‘An exquisite debut from an exciting new voice in Irish fiction’
Daily Telegraph        

‘A thrillingly original debut, and I can’t wait to see what Aitken does next’
NAOISE DOLAN        

‘It's a rare pleasure to come across quite such an accomplished novel . . . This is a work positively brimming with pathos and emotion, articulated in truly exquisite prose’
NATHAN FILER        

‘A haunting tale about the power and danger in a mother’s love’
Irish Times        

‘The joy of this book is in Aitken's prose, which is exquisite . . . Aitken is an exciting new voice in Irish literature’
Irish Independent        

‘Aitken brings a gut-pummelling mix of folklore, feminism and psychological trauma to her wild debut tale of mothers impelled to take out on their daughters the sins committed against them’
Daily Mail