Family dysfunction at the end of the world, and the woman who challenged Victorian medicine

I have to admit that I haven’t read all that much Shakespeare, so when I hear that a current work of fiction is a retelling of one of his classics, I’m not interested in picking it up on that basis. But Julia Armfield is one of my favorite modern writers – please check out her collection of short stories, a little saltand his first novel, Our Wives Under the Sea – so his new book, which is described as a reimagining of it King Learit was a quick buy for me. In Private Practicesthe world is under water and it rains endlessly. The community has built up to survive, thanks in large part to the designs of one respected artist. But he is a terrible person. When he died, his unmarried daughters were brought together, and it was a complicated union.

Private Rite follows the sisters, Isla, Irene and Agnes, after their father’s death as they uncover dark family secrets while dealing with their own issues. And, all this happened at the end of the world. It’s beautifully written, with a sad, melting voice that draws you in quickly.