{"title":"Timothy X Atack","description":"\u003cp\u003eTimothy X Atack specialises in richly woven \u003cem\u003ehistorical fiction\u003c\/em\u003e that brings the past vividly to life. His narratives often explore lesser-known episodes and characters, blending meticulous research with compelling storytelling to immerse readers in bygone eras.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith titles like \u003cstrong\u003eFather Alberto and the Flying Girl\u003c\/strong\u003e, Atack’s works invite readers to journey through intriguing settings filled with adventure, mystery, and thoughtful reflections on history’s enduring mysteries.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"father-alberto-and-the-flying-girl-by-timothy-x-atack-9781784746285","title":"Father Alberto and the Flying Girl","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExhilarating and wildly original debut novel set in the Middle Ages exploring mental illness, intolerance and outsiders. For readers of \u003cem\u003eGLORIOUS EXPLOITS\u003c\/em\u003e by Ferdia Lennon, \u003cem\u003eTHE PRETENDER\u003c\/em\u003e by Jo Harkin, and \u003cem\u003ePIRANESI\u003c\/em\u003e by Susanna Clarke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Hilarious, moving, and delightfully weird .... I thought it was brilliant'\u003c\/em\u003e - JO HARKIN, author of \u003cem\u003eTHE PRETENDER\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Profound and strange and utterly original ... You have to read it to believe it'\u003c\/em\u003e - RACHEL SEIFFERT, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Dark Room\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn a backwater parish somewhere in medieval Europe, new priest Alberto finds himself protecting those deemed insane. Yet Alberto must also contend with the vicious Abbess - and the terrifying Inferrant Brethren, with whom he has history...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnder the reign of the Abbess, the Abbey of Saint Particular imprisons the mad - and therefore godless. Only once each year are the inmates set free for a day, on the drunken Feast of the Holy Fool. Idealistic Alberto is given the thankless task of returning them to the dungeons once the day is over, but soon starts to see that he could help the 'fools' and even learn from them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere is just one who escapes his grasp - the Flying Girl, a mysterious child who leaps from tree to tree, refusing to speak sense or stay on the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs Alberto grows braver in his defiance of the Abbess, everything comes to a head when the Inferral are called. A terrifying brotherhood of religious inquisition and torture, they are come to rid the parish of evil. The Flying Girl must be caught once and for all - and Alberto's unorthodox kindnesses put him more and more at risk...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBold, vivid and blackly funny, \u003cem\u003eFather Alberto and the Flying Girl\u003c\/em\u003e is a fiercely imaginative story about kindness, society and so-called madness; about getting things wrong - and hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Father Alberto and the Flying Girl is a story as strange as it is universal, as dark as it is joyous - it's a truly special book'\u003c\/em\u003e - CHRISTOPHER WAKLING, author of \u003cem\u003eWhat I Did\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47418124140780,"sku":"9781784746285","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/818NhXjiDkL._SL1500.jpg?v=1774322602"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/timothy-x-atack.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}