As I Descended. Robin Talley

Praise for Robin Talley

      ‘The main characters are terrific in what is a moving YA novel. And an important one’ – The Daily Telegraph

      ‘This is so thought-provoking it almost hurts to read it, yet every word is needed, is necessary and consequently this is a novel that lingers long after you’ve finished it’ – Lovereading

      ‘This is an emotional and compelling read that I did not want to put down. It is […]beautifully written and the tension just simmers on the pages’ – Bookbabblers

      ‘This book packs a very powerful punch’ – Historical Novel Society

      ‘With great characterisation, tough issues covered, and a plot which had me guessing right up until the last pages, this is a must-read. Massively recommended!’ – The Bookbag

      ‘This exceptional novel of first love and sexual awakenings is set against a backdrop of shocking racism and prejudice. It is incredibly well written as the tense, riveting story seamlessly combines fiction with historical fact’ – Booktrust

      ‘Every now and then a Young Adult book comes along that I want to push into every reader’s hands both young and old and Lies We Tell Ourselves is that book for 2014’ – Jess Hearts Books

      ‘Talley has mixed two controversial topics together to create a firecracker of a story’ – Cheryl M-M’s Book Blog

       Winner of the Amnesty CILIP Honour Award 2016 for Lies We Tell Ourselves.

      ROBIN TALLEY’S first novel, Lies We Tell Ourselves, about two girls on the front lines of the school desegregation battle in 1959 Virginia, was on the short list for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award.

      Robin lives in Washington, D.C., with her wife and their daughter, plus an antisocial cat and a goofy hound dog. You can find her on the web at www.robintalley.com or on Twitter at @robin_talley.

      Contents

       Cover

       Praise

       About the Author

       Title Page

ACT 1: in thunder

1. THE CHARM’S WOUND UP

2. NOTHING IS BUT WHAT IS NOT

3. HOURS DREADFUL AND THINGS STRANGE

4. LEAVE ALL THE REST TO ME

ACT 2: in lightning

5. CAN THE DEVIL SPEAK TRUE?

       6. THE ATTEMPT AND NOT THE DEED CONFOUNDS US

       7. PRESENT FEARS ARE LESS THAN HORRIBLE IMAGININGS

       8. SLEEP NO MORE

       9. A THING MOST STRANGE AND CERTAIN

       ACT 3: in rain

       10. I FEAR YOU PLAYED MOST FOULLY FOR IT

       11. BLOOD WILL HAVE BLOOD

       12. WHAT’S TO BE DONE?

       13. CONSIDER IT NOT SO DEEPLY

       14. TERRIBLE DREAMS THAT SHAKE US NIGHTLY

       15. THE VERY PAINTING OF YOUR FEAR

       ACT 4: when the hurly-hurly’s done

       16. FOUL WHISPERINGS ARE ABROAD

       17. COME LIKE SHADOWS, SO DEPART

       18. THEN THE CHARM IS FIRM AND GOOD

       ACT 5: when the battle’s lost and won

       19. HERE’S THE SMELL OF THE BLOOD STILL

       20. WHAT’S DONE CANNOT BE UNDONE

       21. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES

       22. FAIR IS FOUL, AND FOUL IS FAIR

       Epilogue: TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW

       Acknowledgments

       Copyright

ACT 1

       in thunder

1

       THE CHARM’S WOUND UP

      The Ouija board was Lily’s idea.

      Maria warned her not to go through with it, but Lily didn’t listen. She went onto eBay while Maria was at soccer practice and bought the prettiest board she could find. A “genuine antique,” she called it.

      Only when she showed it to Maria