See What I Have Done

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WINNER OF THE ABIA LITERARY FICTION OF THE YEAR 2018 WINNER OF THE MUD LITERARY AWARD 2018 Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018 Shortlisted for the Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction 2018 Shortlisted for The Ned Kelly Awards for Best First Crime 2018 Shortlisted for the Strand Critics Awards for Best First Novel Shortlisted for the Davitt Awards for Debut Novel 2018 Longlisted for the ABIA Matt Richell Award for New Writers 2018 'Eerie and compelling, Sarah Schmidt breathes such life into the terrible, twisted tale of Lizzie Borden and her family, she makes it impossible to look away.' Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of The Girl on the Train He was still bleeding. I yelled, 'Someone's killed Father.' I breathed in kerosene air, licked the thickness from my teeth. The clock on the mantel ticked ticked. I looked at Father, the way hands clutched to thighs, the way the little gold ring on his pinky finger sat like a sun. I gave him that ring for his birthday when I no longer wanted it. 'Daddy,' I had said. 'I'm giving this to you because I love you.' He had smiled and kissed my forehead. Lizzie Borden took an axe. Or did she? On 4 August 1892 Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. During the inquest into the deaths, Lizzie Borden was arrested and charged with the murder of her father and her stepmother. Through the eyes of Lizzie's sister Emma, the housemaid Bridget, the enigmatic stranger Benjamin and the beguiling Lizzie herself, we return to what happened that day in Fall River. 'Haunting, evocative and psychologically taut, See What I Have Done breathes fresh life into the infamous 19th-century murder case surrounding Lizzie Borden. This is a powerful, beautifully researched debut novel that brings us into contact with the recurring American dramas of violence and retribution while summoning the beguiling voices of the past.' Dominic Smith, author of the New York Times bestseller The Last Painting of Sara de Vos 'Deserves to be considered a Gothic classic.' The Saturday Paper 'Schmidt writes thrillingly well.' The Australian 'A grand gothic novel.' Books+Publishing 'Believe the hype.' Marie Claire 'There are books about murder and there are books about imploding families; this is the rare novel that seamlessly weaves the two together, asking as many questions as it answers.' Kirkus Reviews '[An] unforgettable debut ... Equally compelling as a whodunit, 'whydunit,' and historical novel.' Publishers Weekly 'Heralds the arrival of a major new talent ...

After completing a Bachelor of Arts (Professional Writing and Editing), a Master of Arts (Creative Writing), and a Graduate Diploma of Information Management, Sarah currently works as a librarian in a public library. Her debut novel, See What I Have Done, was an international publishing sensation. Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018 and the International Dublin Literary Award 2019, in Australia it won the ABIA Literary Fiction Award and the MUD Literary Award 2018, was shortlisted for the Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction 2018, The Ned Kelly Award for Best First Crime Novel 2018, the Strand Critics Award for Best First Novel 2018, the Davitt Award for Debut Crime 2018 and was longlisted for the ABIA Matt Richell Award for New Writers 2018. Blue Hour is her eagerly awaited second novel. Sarah lives in Naarm/Melbourne.

Schmidt's writing is rich and confident, painting a vivid portrait of a household with something rotten at its core. It's a strong debut that promises much from an original and compelling new voice in Australian literature. - The Guardian Schmidt is a consummate storyteller whose account of the Borden murders is utterly compelling. - Australian Book Review See What I Have Done is a meticulously researched and boldly imagined book that crackles with tension throughout. Schmidt's portrayal of Lizzie is haunting and complex, a deeply psychological portrait that forces the reader to question their preconceptions about what women are capable of - for better and worse. Both disturbing and gripping, it is an outstanding debut novel about love, death and the lifelong repercussions of unresolved grief. - The Observer Compelling and incredibly haunting - Australian Women's Weekly Believe the hype around this Australian authors debut novel. - Marie Claire a grand gothic novel - Books + Publishing For the originality of its voice and the power of its language and imagery, See What I Have Done deserves to be considered a Gothic classic - THE SATURDAY PAPER Melbourne-based author Sarah Schmidt's first novel was 10 years in the making and it's a cracker - GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA