Reissued with a beautiful new illustrative cover, A.S. Byatt's debut novel - the moving story of a young woman's struggle for independence and identity


It is the height of summer. After she is expelled from boarding school, Anna Severell returns to the strict, orderly house of her father, a celebrated novelist. The family is soon joined by Oliver Canning, a talented young academic who urges her to take control of her future. As autumn begins and Anna enters university, the pair grow closer. A single mistake, however, could put her newfound independence at risk.