Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Somehow, I managed to get an MA in English without ever actually reading King Lear. So, right before the holiday break, I found myself sitting with my Riverside Shakespeare textbook open on my lap while I watched Anthony Hopkins perform as King Lear on my television screen. After my crash course on the basics, I was ready.
In Private Rites, sisters Isla, Irene, and Agnes are living very separate lives in their drowning city. But when their father dies, they are pulled back together. Isla is the oldest, and through her work as a therapist, she makes order out of the chaos of her life. Irene is a failed academic and is flailing career-wise as she tries to figure out what on earth she’s supposed to do when her city is slowly sinking beneath the waves. Agnes spends her days as a barista and spends her nights in a series of one-night stands. But when Stephanie enters her life, all of that begins to change.
From the get-go, I found myself engrossed with the story. The relationship between the three sisters is so well-drawn and complex. Isla tries to be so perfect, but her marriage is in shambles. Irene is mouthy and tough, but inside, she’s a mess. And Agnes isn’t ready for commitment until she meets the right girl. Their worlds collide when they have to deal with their late father’s estate, in particular, their dad’s house, which now sits above the rising water line.
As always, Armfield’s prose is stunning. It has this haunting quality that matches the end-of-world vibes of the story. Hannah van der Westhuysen performs the audiobook, and she has this perfect way of capturing each sister’s unique narrative voice. As the flooding crisis continues to grow worse, van der Westhuysen imbues her performance with all of the fear and urgency of a society about to fall beneath the sea.