Description

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All that Pearl knows can be encapsulated in one word: Seed. It is the isolated community that she was born into. It is the land that she sows and reaps. It is the center of her family and everything that means home. And it is all kept under the watchful eye of Papa S.

At fifteen years old, Pearl is finally old enough to be chosen as Papa S.'s companion. She feels excitement . . . and surprising trepidation that she cannot explain. The arrival of a new family into the Seed community -- particularly the teenage son, Ellis -- only complicates the life and lifestyle that Pearl has depended upon as safe and constant. Ellis is compelling, charming, and worldly, and he seems to have a lot of answers to questions Pearl has never thought to ask. But as Pearl digs to the roots of the truth, only she can decide what she will allow to come to the surface.

Lisa Heathfield's suspenseful, scintillating debut features a compelling voice that combines blithe naïtékeen observation, and sincere emotion.

About the Author

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Lisa Heathfield is a former secondary school English teacher, specializing in working with hearing-impaired children. Seed is her debut novel. She lives in Brighton, England, with her husband and three children.

Praise For…

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"Heathfield paints convincing portraits of an extremely naïve girl and of a cult from the inside. . . . An absorbing treatment of an ever interesting subject."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Seed will hold readers' attention as the story's mood slowly changes and the work builds to an ultimately stunning conclusion."
—School Library Journal

"[P]earl grows throughout in a realistic way, offering a look at what it's like to live with no knowledge of the outside world. . . . Interested readers will certainly be seeking out the sequel."
—Booklist