A Girl Named Anna

by Lizzy Barber

Overview

A WOMAN’S WORLD BEST NEW BOOK

WINNER OF THE DAILY MAIL FIRST NOVEL COMPETITION

“As convincing as it was gripping, a fabulous debut thriller.”—Sunday Mirror

If your whole life is a lie, who can you trust?

Raised in a quiet rural community, Anna has always been taught that her mamma’s rules are the only path to follow. But, on her eighteenth birthday, she defies her mamma for the first time in her life and goes to Astroland. She’s never been allowed to visit Florida’s biggest theme park, so why, when she arrives, does everything about it seem so familiar? And is there a connection to the mysterious letter she receives that same day—a letter addressing her by a different name?

Rosie has grown up in the shadow of the missing sister she barely remembers, her family fractured by years of searching without leads. Now, on the fifteenth anniversary of her sister’s disappearance, the media circus resumes as the funds dedicated to the search dry up, and Rosie vows to uncover the truth herself. But can she find the answer before it tears her family apart?

Winner of the Daily Mail First Novel Competition, A Girl Named Anna is a psychologically riveting read that introduces Lizzy Barber as an outstanding new voice in suspense fiction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780778308997
Publisher:	MIRA Books
Publication date:	09/03/2019
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	1,048,139
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Lizzy Barber studied English at Cambridge University. Having previously dabbled in acting and film development, she has spent the last ten years as head of marketing for a restaurant group. Her first novel, A Girl Named Anna, won the Daily Mail and Random House First Novel Prize 2017. She lives in London with her husband, a food writer. Visit Lizzy at lizzybarber.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @bylizzybarber.

Editorial Reviews

07/29/2019

High school senior Anna Montgomery, the heroine of British author Barber’s taut first novel, lives a quiet, devout life in Florida with her widowed mother. When Anna and her boyfriend, the local pastor’s son, decide to sneak off to Astroland, the state’s biggest theme park (where she’s never been), for her 18th birthday, she discovers Astroland is strangely familiar. Meanwhile, in London, teenager Rosie Archer and her parents must come to terms with the 15th anniversary of the kidnapping of her sister, Emily, which occurred during a trip to America when Rosie was just a baby. Despite having little hope of success, Rosie resolves to do something, and she begins by reading all the conspiracy theories and stories about the kidnapping online. Her research uncovers a few promising leads, one involving a well-known reporter. As Rosie fights for the truth, Anna seeks her own, and soon both find themselves in danger. Barber creates a fast-moving tale of good and evil, obsession and sacrifice—all in the name of love. This gifted storyteller is a writer to watch. Agent: Luigi Bonomi, LBA Agency (U.K.). (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"A dark, addictive read, with a real heart at its core. I loved it." -Amy Lloyd, bestselling author of The Innocent Wife

"Readers will quickly know the "who" of the story-it's the "why" that's the focus, and Rosie's and Anna's dual narratives lend intimacy and emotional resonance. Anna's story often veers into Carrie territory, and Barber renders the Archers' heart-wrenching plight with realistic emotional intensity... A page-turning look at the aftermath of a parent's worst nightmare."-Kirkus

"Barber creates a fast-moving tale of good and evil, obsession and sacrifice-all in the name of love. This gifted storyteller is a writer to watch."-Publishers Weekly

"As convincing as it was gripping, a fabulous debut thriller."-Sunday Mirror

"A compelling read that's itching to be made into a TV two-parter."-RED

"Dark, disturbing and powerful, the gripping plot is full of twists, turns and suspense. You will not want to put it down."-Candis

"One of those thrillers in which it is almost impossible not to flick ahead."-Alison Flood, Observer

"Provides a clever, unexpected solution, by way of some fine writing."-The Times

"It's the big emotions this book evokes that make you keep reading."-Good Housekeeping

"Barber has created characters with sufficient appeal to fuel real suspense."-The Guardian

From the Publisher

2019-07-01
On the 15th anniversary of her sister's disappearance, a young woman launches her own investigation in British author Barber's U.S. debut.

Rosie Archer was only a baby when her 3-year-old sister, Emily, disappeared at Astroland, a Florida amusement park they visited while on vacation from England. Her parents haven't given up hope that Emily is still alive, but Rosie and her younger brother, Rob, have largely borne the brunt of the fallout. The high profile of Rosie's famous music producer father has ensured that everyone knows who Rosie is. It's not the kind of celebrity she wants, and her parents are understandably overprotective; Rosie chafes at this situation with risky behavior. Fifteen years haven't blunted the guilt and blame that cycle between Emily's parents, and while it's obvious they've done their best by Rosie and Rob, the siblings' lives have been irrevocably shaped by the sister they never knew. When Rosie finds out that the trust set up to fund the search for her sister is about to run out, she decides she's going to find out what happened to Emily and hopefully get closure for herself and her family. Meanwhile, in Florida, 18-year-old Anna Montgomery lives with her reclusive, ultrareligious mother, Mary, and is ecstatic to be heading for the forbidden Astroland with her boyfriend, William. It's there that she flashes on some disturbing memories, and a letter hand-delivered to her mailbox calling her by another name causes Anna to question her entire existence and do a little digging (literally) of her own. Readers will quickly know the "who" of the story—it's the "why" that's the focus, and Rosie's and Anna's dual narratives lend intimacy and emotional resonance. Anna's story often veers into Carrie territory, and Barber renders the Archers' heart-wrenching plight with realistic emotional intensity. While it stretches credulity a bit that a teen, even a clever one like Rosie, would have more luck than all those Scotland Yard investigators and private detectives, readers willing to just go with it will find a lot to enjoy.

A page-turning look at the aftermath of a parent's worst nightmare.

Kirkus Reviews