Wales Book of the Year Focus – The Unbroken Beauty of Rosalind Bone
This blog is part of a series spotlighting the books shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year Award 2024.
This time, we shine a light on The Unbroken Beauty of Rosalind Bone by Alex McCarthy, shortlisted for the Rhys Davies Trust Fiction Award.
The Unbroken Beauty of Rosalind Bone, Alex McCarthy (Doubleday)
Tucked into the Welsh valleys and encircled by silver birch and pine, the village of Cwmcysgod may appear a quiet, sleepy sort of place. But beneath the surface, tensions simmer, hearts ache, and painful truths threaten to emerge.
Sixteen-year-old Catrin Bone knows only what she has been told. Now, she is beginning to question her small world, and a version of the past that seems to entrap and embitter her reclusive mother, Mary.
The sins of the past are approaching, for it takes a village: to raise a child, to bring down a woman, to hide something monstrous and to look the other way.
In this tender, sly, exquisitely wrought novella, a unique cast of characters give voice to their versions of the truth. But it is the story of Rosalind Bone, of her strength and of all that she has endured, that rises above the rest, shimmering with hope and possibility…
About the Author
Alex McCarthy was born in Cardiff and grew up in south Wales. An alumna of London Contemporary Dance School, she worked as a dancer and choreographer for a number of years on stage, TV and film. In 2017, following a career change and several years of writing, Alex began to write this novel. She has a daughter and stepdaughter, and lives in Wales.
Read, Listen, Watch!
Alex has created a Spotify playlist to enjoy whilst reading the book:
Here are a selection of reviews of The Unbroken Beauty of Rosalind Bone:
The TLS (Behind a Paywall)
Buy The Book
Buy The Unbroken Beauty of Rosalind Bone via the Penguin website: