by Zoe Heller
First published 2004
Barbara Covett has taught at the same London comprehensive school for decades, observing her colleagues with sharp eyes and sharper judgment. When Sheba Hart joins the art department, Barbara recognizes something different about this younger woman. Sheba stands apart from their dreary staffroom peers with her beauty and vivacity. Barbara feels drawn to befriend her. But Barbara is not alone in finding Sheba captivating. Soon Sheba becomes romantically involved with one of her teenage pupils, crossing a line that will destroy her marriage, her career, and her reputation. Barbara discovers the secret relationship and must decide what to do with this dangerous knowledge. As the scandal unfolds, the friendship between the two women becomes increasingly complex and twisted. Barbara's protective instincts toward Sheba reveal deeper hungers and obsessions that she has kept hidden for years.
Genres: fiction, drama, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: dark-academia, obsession, unreliable-narrator
Setting: London
Period: 20th-century
3 pages · Audio CD · Penguin Audiobooks
Content warnings: abuse, sexual-content