Publishers Weekly
★ 05/15/2023
Mannion (A Crooked Tree) explores the long shadow of domestic violence in this outstanding mystery. In 2004, Nessa Garvey’s sister, Deena, disappears after leaving their shared Philadelphia apartment for work. Nessa feels certain Deena’s abusive ex, Lucas Chevalier, is responsible—particularly when he uses Deena’s absence to gain custody of the couple’s four-year-old daughter, Ruby—but Lucas’s mother alibis him. He then convinces a judge to deny Nessa visitation rights to see Ruby and decamps with the girl to Vermont. Nessa refuses to move on, however, obsessing over her sister and niece’s fates; meanwhile, as Ruby grows up exploring Lake Champlain’s islands, she learns to hunt, farm, and manage her father’s temper. She knows not to ask about her “messed up” mother, whom Lucas says abandoned them when Ruby was two, but when someone mails her a picture contradicting that timeline, she starts questioning her father’s motives. Mannion expertly intertwines Nessa and Ruby’s stories via visceral, close-third-person narration that alternates perspectives, and weaves through time to build tension and dole out reveals. Her subtly shaded characters add nuance and poignancy. This artful slow burn should earn Mannion new fans. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
"Quietly powerful. . . . A compelling portrait of a fractured family and a sister’s never-ending search for justice." — New York Times
"Sharp, poignant, thrilling and moving . . . . Tell Me What I Am is the kind of richly drawn, achingly atmospheric crime novel you can totally immerse yourself in.” — Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End
"In this outstanding mystery . . . . Mannion expertly intertwines Nessa and Ruby’s stories via visceral, close-third-person narration that alternates perspectives, and weaves through time to build tension and dole out reveals. Her subtly shaded characters add nuance and poignancy. This artful slow burn should earn Mannion new fans." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Tell Me What I Am by Una Mannion is very VERY good. About the impact on her family when a woman disappears, it's vividly real. The writing is beautiful, the emotions are conveyed exquisitely. There's love here as well as pain.” — Marian Keyes, New York Times bestselling author of Sushi for Beginners and Grown Ups
"I tore through this book with my heart in my throat, desperate to know what happens, but also not wanting it to end. It's the perfect combination of really good writing, a propulsive plot, and fully realized characters. I'll read anything Una Mannion writes." — Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes and The Half Moon
". . . a cleverly paced, slow burning psychological thriller steeped in family secrets . . . . Mannion’s use of language is spare and unembellished, adding a seamless fit to the dark tenor of the story . . . . A deep-probing, layered story undulating through the shadows of domestic violence, Tell Me What I Am is a finely wrought psychological thriller that will intrigue the discerning reader . . . . It will surely provide a lively topic for book club discussion." — The New York Journal of Books
“This beautiful, haunting novel beats with the heart of a thriller, but is so much more. Una Mannion is a writer of extraordinary talent, compassion and power.” — Louise Kennedy, author of Trespasses
"Mannion creates a haunting and deeply moving portrayal of the complexities of domestic abuse, family relationships and grief." — The Observer (London)
“Mannion creates an emotionally charged yet gently paced thriller that evokes the doubt and anguish that arise after uncertain loss. . . . Through a relentlessly tempestuous coming-of-age journey, Ruby emerges as a strong, capable young adult." — Booklist (starred review)
“The novel's great strength lies in its arresting portrait of adolescence . . . . Socially conscious . . . . Between Nessa's rage and the novel's repeated references to troubled, abusive men — from Boko Haram to Dick Cheney to the murderers of Medusa, Tell Me What I Am demands an answer about a state-of-mind as well as an identity." — Minneapolis Star Tribune
"A sure-footed and emotionally complex second novel . . . . Her language is beautifully descriptive while her story has all the pacy elements of a thriller." — The Irish Times
"Mannion creates a haunting and deeply moving portrayal of the complexities of domestic abuse, family relationships and grief." — The Guardian
"Propulsive and richly atmospheric." — Irish Independent
"Compelling . . . . Mannion writes with a lyrical economy that stands out, and always shows a deep empathy for her well-drawn characters." — Irish Examiner
"A wrenching portrait of the umbilical bond between mother and child and, more powerfully still, an icily persuasive account of the subtle dark arts of male coercion and abuse." — Daily Mail (London)
