{"title":"Sarah Bernstein","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the intriguing world of \u003cstrong\u003eSarah Bernstein\u003c\/strong\u003e, an author who is making waves in contemporary literature with her unique approach to storytelling. Bernstein's works artfully explore complex psychological landscapes, seamlessly blending themes of identity, obedience, and human behaviour. Her novels, characterised by a distinctive narrative style, invite you to delve deep into the intricacies of human nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne of her standout works, \u003cem\u003eStudy for Obedience\u003c\/em\u003e, captivates readers with its examination of compliance and control, offering a powerful reflection on societal dynamics. Meanwhile, \u003cem\u003eThe Coming Bad Days\u003c\/em\u003e presents a hauntingly beautiful narrative that explores themes of fear and isolation, painting a vivid picture of modern life with its myriad challenges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSarah Bernstein's novels are a must-read for those who appreciate thought-provoking fiction that challenges conventional perspectives and offers fresh insights into the human condition. Dive into her collection and discover a narrative voice that is both compelling and unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"study-for-obedience-by-sarah-bernstein-9781783789931","title":"Study for Obedience","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStudy for Obedience\u003c\/em\u003e follows the story of a woman who moves from her birthplace to a remote northern country to serve as housekeeper to her brother, whose wife has recently left him. As the youngest child of many siblings—more than she cares to remember—she has spent her earliest years attending to their every need, smoothing away discomfort with perfect obedience and the highest degree of devotion. The country to which she relocates is that of her family's ancestors, a people obscure yet reviled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUpon her arrival, a series of unfortunate events unfolds—a collective bovine hysteria; the death of a ewe and her nearly-born lamb; a local dog's phantom pregnancy; the containment of domestic fowl; and a potato blight. She notices that the local suspicion towards outsiders is directed particularly fiercely at her. It becomes evident she is being accused of wrongdoing, yet these accusations are made in a language she does not understand and therefore cannot contest. Despite her diligent and silent service to the community, she feels their hostility intensifying, encroaching upon her brother's property.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eInside the house, despite her meticulous care and attention to her brother and his home, he too begins to fall ill...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46532865360108,"sku":"9781783789931","price":34.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2514143482823.jpg?v=1749337402"},{"product_id":"study-for-obedience-by-sarah-bernstein-9781803511221","title":"Study For Obedience","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eShortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA woman moves from the place of her birth to a remote northern country to be housekeeper to her brother, whose wife has just left him. The youngest child of many siblings—more than she cares to remember—from earliest childhood she has attended to their every desire, smoothing away the slightest discomfort with perfect obedience, with the highest degree of devotion. The country, it transpires, is the country of their family's ancestors, an obscure though reviled people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSoon after she arrives, a series of unfortunate events occurs: collective bovine hysteria; the demise of a ewe and her nearly-born lamb; a local dog's phantom pregnancy; the containment of domestic fowl; a potato blight. She notices that the local suspicion about incomers in general seems to be directed particularly in her case. What is clear is that she is being accused of wrongdoing, but in a language she cannot understand and so cannot address. And however diligently and silently she toils in service of the community, still she feels their hostility growing, pressing at the edges of her brother's property.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eInside the house, although she tends to her brother and his home with the utmost care and attention, he too begins to fall ill...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eStudy for Obedience\u003c\/i\u003e explores themes of duty, alienation, and the weight of an ancestral curse through the lens of an obedient woman navigating a world that seems intent on casting her as the other. It's a piercing examination of the boundaries of family loyalty, tradition, and the mystic ties within a community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46532866965740,"sku":"9781803511221","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3126513482830.jpg?v=1749337484"},{"product_id":"the-coming-bad-days-by-sarah-bernstein-9781911547907","title":"The Coming Bad Days","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter leaving the man with whom she'd been living, an unnamed protagonist in an unnamed university city is working unspectacularly on the poet Paul Celan. The abiding feeling in the city is one of paranoia; the weather has been deteriorating and outside her office window she can hear police helicopters circling, looking for the women who have been disappearing. She is in self-imposed exile, hoping to find dignity in her loneliness. But when she meets Clara - a woman who is exactly her opposite - her plans begin to unravel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReminiscent of Rachel Cusk, Gwendoline Riley and Thomas Bernhard, \u003ci\u003eThe Coming Bad Days\u003c\/i\u003e is a penetrating interior portrait of feminine negation and cruelty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46715865989356,"sku":"9781911547907","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/16233353482868.jpg?v=1754415854"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/sarah-bernstein.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}