To win 10 copies of Judy Birbeck’s beautiful, moving – and disturbing – novel, please contact is below by 30th June. Once your group has read the book, we’d love to hear what you think – reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, etc, are welcome.
About the book
How could anyone get drawn into a cult without realising?
Stef does. An overworked teacher, she questions her husband’s fidelity, but is drawn into a community on a remote Exmoor estate run by the couples counsellor. Meanwhile, her grandmother, who is writing her memoir about the Hitler Youth girls in Berlin with a mixture of guilt and nostalgia, looks on helplessly as Stef descends ever further.
Superbly written, the story unfolds against background of nature and music; this is a scintillating novel about the abuse of power – and the acceptance of this abuse.
About the author
Judy Birkbeck studied German and French from Reading University, and gained an MA in Creative Writing from Exeter University. Behind The Mask Is Nothing was partly inspired by personal experience of a non-residential cult-like group. She is currently working on her third novel, about the abuse of power within the family.
She was born and bred in London, and lives in Yorkshire.
