4th Estate

Scissors, Paper, Stone

Elizabeth Day

A frank and beautiful story of damage, survival and restoration from an exhilarating literary voice.

As Charles Redfern lies motionless in hospital, his wife Anne and daughter Charlotte are forced to confront their relationships with him – and with each other. Anne, once beautiful and clever, has paled in the shadow of her husband’s dominance. Charlotte, meanwhile, is battling with her own inner darkness and is desperate to prevent her relationship with her not-yet-divorced lover from disintegrating.

As the full truth of Charles’s hold over them is brought to light, both women must reconcile themselves with the choices they have made, the secrets they have kept, and the uncertain future that now lies ahead of them.

Reviews of Scissors, Paper, Stone

- ‘The relationship between the two women is very well done – tense, hinting all the time at some fatal incident …truly disturbing, utterly believable … sensitive, never prurient’ Margaret Forster
- ‘Moving, terrifyingly real’ Observer
- ‘Day’s subtle prose packs a powerfully disturbing punch as her understated yet candid handling of dark subjects reaches into the most raw and fragile parts of all of us … Sad, delicate and convincing Scissors Paper Stone is a reminder of how the human need to love and be loved can destroy all that we hold dear. It’s a striking debut novel from a talented writer’ Metro
- ‘A brave and thoughtful book … As an attempt to analyse the dysfunctional web of relationships within an outwardly normal family, it’s a courageous and sensitive story’ Independent