Author(s): Emily Perkins

Novel | Aotearoa Fiction | Read our reviews! | 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards long lists | 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards short lists

You know how we say we devoured a story, and also that we were consumed by it? Eating and being eaten. It was like that with Claire, for me. From humble beginnings, Therese has let herself grow used to a life of luxury after marrying into an empire-building family. But when rumours of corruption gather around her husband's latest development, the social opprobrium is shocking, the fallout swift, and Therese begins to look at her privileged and insular world with new eyes. In the flat below Therese, something else is brewing. Her neighbour Claire believes she's discovered the secret to living with freedom and authenticity, freeing herself from the mundanity of domesticity.  Therese finds herself enchanted by the lure of the permissive zone Claire creates in her apartment a place of ecstatic release.  All too quickly, Therese is forced to confront herself and her choices just how did she become this person? And what exactly should she do about it?  'Perkins is an extraordinary writer' The Sunday Times

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STELLA'S REVIEW:
A new Emily Perkins novel is a rare thing (the last being The Forrests in 2012). She’s been writing plays and teaching. And what good things they are. Her take on Isben’s A Doll’s House, which played at the Theatre Royal a few years ago, was superb. So lucky us, it’s a Donna Tart moment this year with the Lioness. It’s always nerve-wracking when a favourite author has a new work. Will you still like their style? Can you resist the temptation to compare? And will this grip you as other writings have? So, the book lands. The cover is shocking and intriguing. A burnt out face. The novel cracks in from the start with our protagonist, Therese having average sex with her older husband, and then discovering, a few pages in, the Viagra tucked away in the suitcase. You sense an unravelling is to begin. Life is too neat. Therese too plastic. Later you realise, malleable. Not by circumstance, rather by choice. A choice to have her ‘dream’ homewares brand, to please everyone even at the loss of her own identity, and to stay quiet when she would rather speak out. You can wear the silk jumpsuit, attend the right events, and host the perfect party, but the girl from the Valley will still appear unexpectedly. There are sneaky tell-tale clues of her other life, of her other self. The drink of choice, rum and coke, the occasional slip in language, and the pulse of something wild just under the surface. This surface will crack open when her developer husband has the spotlight of a fraud enquiry turned on him. Conveniently, in the downstairs apartment is another middle-aged, middle-class (although not quite as privileged or wealthy as Therese) woman, Claire, having an epiphany or crisis — take your pick. While reading this I had the same discomfort as when I read Rachel Cusk’s Second Place. These people — what’s wrong with them? It’s hard to like any of them, even Therese and Claire (the first you have some empathy for, the second yeah, okay, break out if you really need to), especially those adult children who treat Therese (wife number two and not their mother) appallingly. They are universally horrendous. So, what keeps you there, with the Lioness? The writing, as ever, is excellent; Perkin’s observations are squirmingly spot on; the irony and social commentary eviscerating. I loved this more once I closed the pages and left those characters behind. Much like, Cusk’s Second Place, it will make you shudder and laugh simultaneously.
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Review: 'A thoughtful, intelligent novel about one woman's search for more meaning' * Good Housekeeping *
'I was so gripped by this astoundingly good book. Rich, disturbing, deep, sharp and unputdownable. Gave me shivers about women, families, the masks we wear, how hard it is to tear them off - and what happens when we do.' * Charlotte Wood *
'A terrific novel about self-doubt and changing life.' * Good Reading Magazine *
'Explores the damage done to women by living behind a mask... A well-told story of family rivalry and sibling whining... there are moments of droll humour... the central story is strong... captured smartly' * Independent *
'This novel is perfection' * Glamour *
'The nuance of Lioness's portrait of a mid-life personal and political awakening is extremely seductive' * Financial Times *
'A coolly ironic look at modern womanhood... this is an excellent novel' * The Times *
'Lioness is a bold, exuberant and illuminating exploration of identity that exposes the chasm between what one believes and how one actually lives. Perkins' writing is exquisite, her observations so strikingly acute and original they will make you gasp' * Books + Publishing *
'Rich and deeply layered... A thought-provoking read about identity and meaning in life' * Muddy Stilettos *
'A novel that roars with the desire for authenticity and reinvention... Perkins' prose is elegant, economical and seamless. She's a magnificent writer, commenting on women's empowerment, awakening and visibility to themselves with poise and grace.' * Better Reading *