A psychologically gripping and provocative new novel about childhood; secrets and trust; by the Booker Prize-nominated author of Love and Other Thought Experiments 'A tense; taut drama' Good Housekeeping Isobel lives an isolated life in North London; where she works at a nearby library. She feels safe; so long as she keeps to her routines and doesn't let her thoughts stray too far into the past. But a newspaper photograph of a missing local schoolgirl and a letter from her old teacher send her spiralling and bring back the trauma of what happened years ago; when she was a pupil at The Schoolhouse. The Schoolhouse was a 1970s experimental school. Isobel's days there were a dark interplay of freedom and adventure; violence and fear. The only record of what happened there is her teenage diary; and her memory . . . One lesson The Schoolhouse taught her was that some truths must never be revealed. But as the police investigating the missing girl start to ask uncomfortable questions; Isobel realises the truth is coming for her - and it will put her; and everyone she has tried to protect; at risk. From the Booker Prize-longlisted author of Love and Other Thought Experiments comes a masterful and gripping thriller about truth; silence; and the dead weight of the past. 'A compelling; fast-moving narrative . . . What's best about [Sophie Ward's] novels; however; is her gift for bringing characters to life . . . The Schoolhouse delivers a real emotional impact' Telegraph 'The Schoolhouse is a legit crime thriller: stylish; pacey and genuinely frightening . . . If only more Booker-recognised writers did stuff this fun' The Times 'Queerness and deafness sit alongside themes of resilience and trust; making for an evocative; well-paced narrative that's sure to win her new readers' Guardian