The Colour of Milk is the new novel by Orange longlisted author and playwright Nell Leyshon.

'this is my book and i am writing it by my own hand'

The year is eighteen hundred and thirty one when fifteen-year-old Mary begins the difficult task of telling her story. A scrap of a thing with a sharp tongue and hair the colour of milk, Mary leads a harsh life working on her father's farm alongside her three sisters. In the summer she is sent to work for the local vicar's invalid wife, where the reasons why she must record the truth of what happens to her - and the need to record it so urgently - are gradually revealed.

'Haunting, distinctive voices... Mary's spare simple words paint brilliant pictures in the reader's mind . . . Nell Leyshon's imaginative powers are considerable' Independent

'Bronte-esque undertones . . . a disturbing statement on the social constraints faced by 19th-century women' FT

'A small tour de force - a wonderfully convincing voice, and a devastating story told with great skill and economy' Penelope Lively

'I loved it. The Colour of Milk is charming, Bronte-esque, compelling, special and hard to forget. I loved Mary's voice - so inspiring and likeable. Such a hopeful book' Marian Keyes

'Brilliant, devastating and unforgettable' Easy Living

Nell Leyshon's first novel, Black Dirt, was longlisted for the Orange Prize, and shortlisted for the Commonwealth prize. Her plays include Comfort me with Apples, which won an Evening Standard Award, and Bedlam, which was the first play written by a woman for Shakespeare's Globe. She writes for BBC Radio 3 and 4, and won the Richard Imison Award for her first radio play. Nell was born in Glastonbury and lives in Dorset.

This is the tale of Mary, a simple farm girl, sent to care for the vicar's invalid wife but who discovers wonders in words - and terrors in life.


About the Author
Nell Leyshon's first novel, Black Dirt, was long-listed for the Orange Prize, and shortlisted for the Commonwealth prize. Her plays include Comfort me with Apples, which won an Evening Standard Award, and Bedlam, which was the first play written by a woman for Shakespeare's Globe. She writes for BBC Radio 3 and 4, and won the Richard Imison Award for her first radio play. Nell was born in Glastonbury and lives in Dorset.

Reviews
Shocking and haunting. Read it, in one sitting * Spectator *
Charming, Bronte-esque, compelling, special and hard to forget. I loved it * Marian Keyes *
A small tour de force - a wonderfully convincing voice, and a devastating story told with great skill * Penelope Lively *
Starts deceptively quietly, describing a life of rural hardships and limited prospects, but bit by bit, letter by letter, it reveals a world of potential that is shattered by human fallibility * Daily Telegraph *
Astounding . . . one of the most compelling narrators I've ever encountered * Stylist *
It is once in a blue moon that an author creates a voice quite as alive and as startling as Mary's. Leyshon deserves to be showered with awards * Sunday Express *
Brilliant, devastating and unforgettable * Easy Living *
Spare and beautifully crafted, compelling. Like a love letter to the power of words * Marie Claire *
An astounding read. Like the best bits of Hardy's Tess of the D'Ubervilles . . . Mary is one of the most compelling narrators I've ever encountered . . . packs a powerful punch . . . a very British gem * Stylist *
I loved it. Charming, Bronte-esque, compelling, special and hard to forget. I loved Mary's voice - so inspiring and likeable. Such a hopeful book * Marian Keyes *
Haunting, distinctive voices. Mary's spare simple words paint brilliant pictures in the reader's mind. Leyshon's imaginative powers are considerable * Independent *
Leyshon is a master of domestic suspense . . . Slender but compelling, the charm is to be found as much in its spare, evocative style as in the moving candour of its narrator * Observer *



Book Information
ISBN 9780241959541
Author Nell Leyshon
Format Paperback
Page Count 176
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 127g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 11mm