The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood

A beautifully written, extraordinary novel which is an engrossing and haunting read, The Poison Garden is one of those rare books you finish reading and immediately want to read again.  It is the story of Romy, an engaging character who is taken by her mother to live in a commune in deepest Wales, which gradually reveals itself to be less a power-sharing group and more a patriarchal cult.   Everyone has their role, and children are expected to acquire life skills from an early age and play their part in community life.  However, as power struggles begin, who can resourceful Romy trust?  And, when she escapes the confines of the community, how can she and her siblings learn to live in the world the rest of us know?  You may be able to take the girl out of the  commune, but can you take the commune out of the girl?  This is a thoughtful and intelligent story which raises many question about how we raise and protect our children, and being an Alex Marwood book, there are strong psychological themes and twists to entertain and surprise the reader.  I thoroughly recommend this superb read.