Jonathan Coe: NUMBER 11 (US) Z16

"In Number 11, Coe has filled his intricate plot with a truly Dickensian cast of characters. The novel opens in the early aughts with two ten-year-old girls, Alison and Rachel, and their frightening encounter with the "Mad Bird Woman," a mysterious figure who lives down the road. As the narrative progresses through time, the novel broadens in scope toward other people who are somehow connected to the two girls."--