'Now that's the way to bury your old man ... he sank into his Jason recliner, wincing. A burial: a body wrapped in handwoven cloth, women dancing and wailing. Too much, in Tom's opinion, but at least they were mourning. To hell with that, at least they showed up.'
'Tom Edwards is dying, and cranky. He's made his peace with the dying part. But he'd bet his property - the whole ten thousand acres of it - that there'd be no wailing at his funeral. His kids wouldn't be able to chop down a tree, let alone build a coffin to bury him in.
'Then Tom has an idea ...
'Christine is furious, David ashen-faced, and Sophie distracted. Only Jenny listens carefully as Vince Barton, of Barton & Sons, reads their father's will. Either they build his coffin - in four days - or they lose their inheritance. All of it.
'A perceptive and unforgettable debut novel, The Deed explores the messy, sometimes volatile, complications that only the best and worst of family can bring. Sometimes greed can be good.' (Publication summary)
'What causes more chaos than a will and the remaining family? In Susannah Begbie’s stunning debut novel, The Deed, she exposes the messy side of family and the chaos of sibling rivalry. Winner of the 2022 Richell Prize, Begbie’s story is so beautifully crafted with hilarious and, at times, shocking prose that readers could be forgiven for forgetting The Deed is her first novel.' (Introduction)
'What causes more chaos than a will and the remaining family? In Susannah Begbie’s stunning debut novel, The Deed, she exposes the messy side of family and the chaos of sibling rivalry. Winner of the 2022 Richell Prize, Begbie’s story is so beautifully crafted with hilarious and, at times, shocking prose that readers could be forgiven for forgetting The Deed is her first novel.' (Introduction)
