A Perfect Explanation

Finalist for the Desmond Elliott PrizePublisher’s Marketplace’s Buzz Books/Debut Fiction "Ms. Anstruther powerfully complicates these characters; all are unnervingly real in their mixture of confusion and self-justification...memorable."—The Wall Street Journal "Splendid...this robust story provides insight into aristocratic duties, sibling revenge, and the convoluted feelings that can arise between mothers and their children. This lush family saga will appeal to fans of Ann Patchett."—Publishers Weekly"Anuanced exploration of family jealousies, mental illness, and repercussions that reverberate throughout generations. Anstruther has given us complex characters who do not bow to formula or reader expectations. Instead, she offers a wholly believable glimpse into the harshness that can come with rank and privilege."—The New York Journal of Books “Exquisitely written debut...this heart-wrenching tale provides an inside look at the inner workings of a privileged, aristocratic family that values money over everything else. Readers who follow Enid's anguished journey will be left raw with emotion. This immersive story about family, inheritance, and motherhood is a good read-alike for Paula McLain's historical fiction.”—Booklist  “[A] superb debut.” —Guardian “Superbly structured and told with such conviction and in such a direct, honest, and engaging voice, this first novel is full of splendid surprises taking us into the privileged world and inner life of a woman who is both so familiar and so wonderfully strange.” —Sheila Kohler, author of Becoming Jane Eyre “Haunting . . . Eleanor Anstruther never met [her grandmother], but she recreates her with empathy and compassion in this novel. . . Elegant and intelligent.” —The Times “Impressive…[Anstruther] has used her imagination to bring her family vividly back to life through a novel that is both beautifully written and transfixing. —Country Life ​ “[A] dark story of close relationships gone awry…elegantly told.” —Kirkus “An extraordinary literary debut novel…Gripping, insightful and written with a breathtaking elegance and eloquence that makes this first novel doubly impressive, Anstruther’s beautifully crafted story sets out to examine and understand how the intolerable weight of expectation and responsibility can damage and destroy lives... An exquisite and powerful portrait of a broken family.” –Lancashire Post

“Splendid…This robust story provides insight into aristocratic duties, sibling revenge, and the convoluted feelings that can arise between mothers and their children. This lush family saga will appeal to fans of Ann Patchett.” —Publishers Weekly