The Land of Decoration: A Novel

by Grace McCleen Narrated by Kate Harbour

Overview

Ten-year-old Judith McPherson is a believer. She sees the world with the clear Eyes of Faith. Where others might see rubbish, Judith finds possibility and traces of the divine.

But at school Judith's difference marks her only for persecution at the hands of her classmates. And lately, even at home she struggles to find connection in a house filled with relics of a mother she's never known. To escape, Judith makes things in the Land of Decoration, a model in miniature of the Promised Land made of collected scraps. Piece by piece, the world in her room mirrors the town outside: a discarded shoelace is a garden hose, an orange peel a slide. But in the Land of Decoration, nothing is what it once was, and nothing is quite as it seems.

As ominous forces disrupt the monotonous everyday-a strike threatens her father's factory job, and the taunting at school slips into dangerous territory-Judith makes a miracle in the Land of Decoration that solidifies her blossoming convictions. She is God's chosen instrument. But such a gift is difficult to control, its origins uncertain, and its consequences may threaten the very foundations of Judith's world.

A debut as intimate and original as it is electrifying, The Land of Decoration casts startling light on how far one extraordinary young girl will go to protect the people she loves most.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Gripping…philosophically sophisticated…McCleen never tips her hat.  The writing is born of a genuine inquiry into the nature of religious belief, especially as it relates to one’s psychological development…The Land of Decoration puts a child at the crux of this interpretive dillema, and our hearts go out to her.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[A] mind-bending, soul-stretching, gloriously realized debut…While end-of-time stories are faddish, UK writer Grace McCleen’s novel, The Land of Decoration, is one to heed. The first sentence sets the tone for this rapturous, daringly imaginative tale of love, loss, and salvation…”—Elle magazine

“McCleen skillfully keeps us in a state of suspense; we root for Judith even while we are aghast at her conclusions and actions… [A]s the advice and instruction Judith receives become increasingly dangerous, the book becomes something even the Bible can't always be: a page turner.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

"This extraordinary tale of one little girl's End Times grabbed me by the throat. The Land of Decoration is part social observation and part crazy mysticism, held together by a brutally real story of parent-child love."—Emma Donoghue, author of Room

“Loveable, unique and thrillingly uncategorisable… A story about a small person’s small antithesis of a small town full of small-minded people, this is a big-hearted novel.”—Chris Cleave, Financial Times

“Gripping, beautiful… [M]akes you gasp with delight…In many ways it's suspense—is Judith going to get hurt?—that keeps you tearing through the pages (be prepared for the complete and total devastation of your social life; once you pick up this novel, you will not be able to do anything until you finish)... This isn't a child like the other children in books—say, the unbelievably smart ones who can lecture on astronomy and rare stamps. This is a regular old child, a loving, confused, tender-hearted little person who is trying, like all of us, to make some sense of out of this life.”—Oprah.com pick for “Book of the Week”

“The novel’s best moments offer a profound sense of the existential crisis that any believer eventually faces… McCleen also has a good ear for the blessings of comedy — the little moments of absurdity that children experience as they try to make sense of religion.”—Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“Grace McCleen’s writing is deep, fantastical and powerful, and she really lets us into the heart of this tender, gentle little girl…A wonderful gen of a debut novel.”—The Independent (UK)

“A tremendously affecting novel, skillfully and arrestingly written, and one that packs a big emotional punch.”—The Sunday Times (UK)

“British musician McCleen’s debut explores the complexities of love between a widowed father and his daughter…McCleen adroitly combines cinematic momentum with intuitive description in this novel about the consequences of faith and what happens when we believe that we have the power to effectuate change.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“So memorable…Surprising, affecting, thoughtful and complex, McCleen's novel grows in power the more time you spend with it.”—The Guardian (UK)

“Extraordinary…like Emma Donoghue (whose “Room” was shortlisted for last year’s Booker Prize) McCleen has created a voice which rings true and resonates deep. Bursting with tension and tenderness, this novel is a small miracle in itself.”—Daily Mail (UK)

“[A] stunning debut.…At its core, it’s about the biggest issues a person can encounter—how to confront the unknown, how to negotiate faith and how to be a decent and loving human being. The fact that Grace McCleen is able to address these matters with such subtlety and delicacy is no small miracle itself.”—Bookpage

“Which of us, when we were small, didn't fervently wish for — and frankly believe in — divine intervention? [The Land of Decoration] paints an affecting and often unsettling portrait of pure faith. B+” —Entertainment Weekly

“Debut author McCleen creates a believable, compelling voice for the youthful narrator, and her portrait of a bereaved father is equally affecting…(a) haunting debut.”—Kirkus 

 “[Grace McCleen] writes with a kind of plaintive lyricism; you ache for Judith, but keep reading, because there's something haunting and addictive about the rhythm of the sentences.”—The Seattle Times

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173635785
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	08/07/2012
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

The Empty Room

 

IN THE BEGINNING there was an empty room, a little bit of space, a little bit of light, a little bit of time.

I said: “I am going to make fields,” and I made them from place mats, carpet, brown corduroy, and felt. Then I made rivers from crêpe paper, plastic wrap, and shiny tinfoil, and mountains from papier mâché and bark. And I looked at the fields and I looked at the rivers and I looked at the mountains and I saw they were good.

I said: “Now for some light,” and I made a sun from a wire metal cage strung with beads that hung down from above, I made a sliver of moon and luminous stars, and at the edge of the world I made a sea from a mirror, reflecting the sky and the boats and the birds and the land (where it touched). And I looked at the sun and I looked at the moon and I looked at the sea and I saw they were good.

I said: “What about homes?” And I made one from a ball of dry grass and one from a hollow tree stump and one from a barrel that toffees came in and I gave it a fishing line and sail and made space for a blanket and toothbrush and cup, and a stove, and put a gull high on the mast (which was really a broom handle) and launched it out on the sea (which was really a mirror).

I made houses from chocolate-dip-cookie cartons: the plastic scoop where the chocolate was, that was the bedroom, and the round room below, where the cookies had been, that was the living room. I made houses from a matchbox and a bird’s nest and a pea pod and a shell. And I looked at the houses and saw they were good.

I said: “Now we need animals,” and I made paper birds and wool rabbits and felt cats and dogs. I made furry bears, striped leopards, and fire-breathing, scale-crusted dragons. I made glittering fish and cockleshell crabs and birds on very thin wires.

Last I said: “We need people,” and I modeled faces and hands, lips, teeth, and tongues. I dressed them and wigged them and breathed into their lungs.

And I looked at the people and I looked at the animals and I looked at the land. And I saw they were good.

 

Copyright © 2012 by Grace McCleen

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