NOMINATED FOR THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL
A brilliant, riveting, and harrowing debut novel about a young who is brutally assaulted, and who must then piece her life back together while her attacker faces a justice system that seems stacked against the victim.
Vivian is a cosmopolitan Taiwanese-American tourist who often escapes her busy life in London through adventure and travel. Johnny is a 15-year-old Irish teenager, living a neglected life on the margins of society. He has grown up in a family where crime is customary, violence is a necessity, and everything – and anyone – can be yours for the taking.
As Vivian looks to find her calling professionally, she delights in exploring foreign countries, rolling hillsides, and new cultures. And as a young, single woman, she has grown used to experiencing life on her own. But all of that changes when, on one bright spring afternoon in West Belfast, Vivian's path collides with Johnny and culminates in a horrifying act of violence.
In the aftermath of the incident, both Johnny and Vivian are forced to confront the chain of events that led to the attack. Vivian must struggle to recapture the woman that she was and the woman she aspired to be, while dealing with a culture and judicial system that treats assault victims as less than human. Johnny, meanwhile, flees to the sanctity of his transitory Irish clan. But when he is finally brought to reckon for his crimes, Vivian learns that justice is not always as swift or as fair as she would hope.
Inspired by true events, Dark Chapter is both a literary masterpiece and a riveting novel of suspense about of the dark chapters and chance encounters that can irrevocably determine the shape of our lives. "Heart-wrenching depiction... Brave, raw and strikingly original, it is a story that will resonate for many years."
– Daily Mail
"Dark Chapter is a fascinating book, which takes an unflinching look at reality of sexual violence. I found myself asking hard questions about society and relationships, but above all I was gripped by the brilliant and complex narrative. I have never found myself rooting for a heroine with more urgency than in Dark Chapter."
– Kate Rhodes
"Dark Chapter is a must-read. It's gripping, compelling and all the more authentic for inhabiting both voices so completely. Stunning."
– Erin Kelly
"A powerful story, compassionately told."
– Ros Barber, winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize and The Author's Club First Novel Award
"An accomplished debut, an honest and unsparing story."
– Cath Staincliffe
"An authentic, courageous debut, told with unflinching honesty and exceptional insight."
– A.D. Garrett
"An important and moving book about rape and the long process of recovery."
– Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of The Last Act of Love
"Complex and rewarding… an important book."
– Stylist
"Deftly written, pacey and unflinching, I could not put it down. Winnie Li is a rare talent with an explosive and timely story. Do not miss it."
– Marti Leimbach, best-selling author of Dying Young and Daniel Isn't Talking Winnie M Li is an author and activist. A Harvard graduate, she previously wrote for travel guidebooks, produced independent feature films, and programmed for film festivals. Her debut Dark Chapter won The Guardian's Not The Booker Prize, was nominated for an Edgar Award, and translated into ten languages. She is currently adapting it for the screen. Driven by her own experience of rape, she founded Clear Lines, the UK's first festival addressing sexual assault and consent through the arts and discussion and began her PhD research at the London School of Economics. She holds an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland in recognition of her work.
