If you have never read Beth Lewis before, this raw, emotionally heartbreaking novel is a great place to start. Lewis examines the anatomy of love, betrayal and abuse within a lesbian marriage, something rarely portrayed, set in New York. It begins with the eponymous flawed Iris walking out on her life with her most valued possession, a telescope, leaving her wife, the beautiful Claude, without looking back, taking particular routes so she cannot be traced. We learn through a narrative of before and after, the details of Iris's background, her closeness to a father unhappy in his marriage who found solace in dreaming of escaping into nature and his obsession with the stars which Iris shares. Iris is burdened with a unbearable guilt she is unable to shed at his death when she was 16.

It is this guilt that provides the bedrock of why Iris remained in a marriage that had her terrorised, living in fear of her life, feeling she deserved all the bad things that happened, whilst simultaneously hampered by her all consuming love for her wife. Iris heads to the one place she feels connected to her father, the wilderness, only to find herself facing a epic biblical battle for her soul and identity. With the deployment of a little magical realism, Iris comes face to face with different versions of herself, one in particular that illustrates how life could have been, if only she had made different choices. However, can she trust the 'perfect' life of this other Iris? Haunted by Claude, Iris is forced to face her inner demons, enter the dark heart of who she is and challenging truths she can barely acknowledge, whilst a raging storm threatens to destroy all in its path.

This is a bare knuckle and bloody fight for a life, a traumatised Iris has to come to terms with who she is and the secrets buried within her, and it almost kills her. She emerges with the hard won knowledge that she is now able to walk a new path, strong enough to come face to face with Claude again, and come out intact, although we are left in a state of ambiguity as to what Iris does after this. This is a stunning but emotionally tough read, of issues that do not often get coverage, of a lesbian marriage, of coercive control,the lies, the deceptions, and life threating abuse. Iris is an abused woman who hardly anyone believes, finding herself isolated and alone, unwilling to reveal the grim realities of her marriage to anyone, who finally finds the courage to leave, but that is the mere shadows of the beginnings to what she has to undergo to reclaim herself again. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I loved parts of this book, but not all of it. The main storyline is brilliantly done and I was gripped by the emotional drama of a woman trapped in an abusive marriage. Other sections of the book, particularly the forest scenes (I can't say anymore without revealing spoilers), didn't work for me. They felt overdone, too drawn out and - ultimately - unnecessary.
Iris's character was already strong enough for me without needing the added element the author introduces.
However, this is my subjective opinion and I'm sure others will disagree. It's still a very enjoyable read.

3.5 stars. Finding oneself is such a cliche, but Beth Lewis does a fascinating take on it. . There was a point when I was a bit lost about what was happening, but once I got hooked, there was no looking away. I don’t want to give too much away, so not saying much about the story, except that we do need more stories of what abuse in same-sex relationships looks like.

Anyhow, I’ll be sure to look out for more from this author.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

It's difficult to classify a book such as this - suspenseful and thrilling with a dash of magical realism, a journey of self discovery, exploration, and redemption. But one thing is for certain: Beth Lewis commands her own space within her own genre, and her unique way of storytelling is almost entirely unmatched.

Showing the reality of abuse within a gay marriage with all of the extra difficulties that go with it, Lewis offers an emotional insight which is at times hard to swallow. Iris is flawed, but her story shows how easily being the victim of violence can result in blurred lines between who you are and what you're capable of.

The Origins of Iris is another triumph by an author to always keep on your radar.

“The smell of leaves and dirt enveloped me as I stepped into the wilderness. Sounds of civilisation hushed, replaced with the gentle rhythms of nature”


Beth Lewls’ latest novel The Origins of Iris is in many ways a tale of redemption. Following the acrimonious disintegration of her marriage, the titular Iris makes a decision that will alter the course of her life forever: to voyage alone into the great American wilderness. Of course, this is a narrative path well trodden. From Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir Wild, to John Krakauer’s 1996 chronicle Into the Wild, the tale of a young American heading into the wilderness to ruminate upon the complexity of life has been retold in many different guises, both in fiction and non-fiction. The novel’s roots could even be traced back to Henry Thoreau’s Walden, surely the touchstone for any work that confronts such themes of isolation and transcendentalism. Still, this should not detract from what is an excellent novel.

From the outset, the narrative is imbued with a sense of tenderness and sorrow. As we alternate between events before and after Iris’ transcendental escape, we are provided with an introspective analysis of the factors that informed her desire to escape. At the same time, however, this is also a novel about liberation; about a woman’s courage to extricate herself from an abusive relationship. Amidst the backdrop of the unforgiving American wilderness, Iris is forced to confront both a complex past, and an uneasy present, with the result being a novel that is as fascinating as it is haunting - a refreshing, soul-searching take on a path well-travelled.

Plagued by her bad life choices, Iris escapes to the Catskill Mountains from New York's Upper East Side. Its here that she meets Other Iris, a happier more successful version of herself who has made better life choices. Think Sliding Doors and you've gotten the gist of this new book by Beth Lewis.

Irish is wracked with guilt after her father commits suicide when she is just 16 years old. She moves to New York where she falls in love with the enigmatic Claude. Claude controls every aspects of Iris's life from her clothes and make up to her job and friends. Her coercive control gradually develops into physical abuse. Iris, lives in fear of her life, and unable to face any more, escapes to the isolated mountains, a place her father also loved.

This novel is in a split narrative format with alternating chapters on the Iris-Claude back story. and present day Iris trying to survive in her abandoned mountain cabin. As Iris faces the demons of her past, is she slowly losing her mind or is she truly discovering who she really is for the first time in her life? I really enjoyed the chapters set in New York and the disintegration of the Iris-Claude dynamic was both gripping and unsettling. The book goes a bit "magic realism" in the middle with the blurring of lines between fantasy and reality. I'm not a fan of this genre myself but I know others will love this type of twist. Overall this was a good weekend read.

Many thanks to @netgally and @hodderbooks for this e-book in return for my honest review.

I initially found this book a little hard to get in to but when I did I really did!

This is a hard hitting book beautifully written.

Incredibly challenging subject matter and hard to read about at points but so well written.

I really liked the dual timeline style and the clever way that the past is revealed.

I would definitely recommend this book!

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I had hoped. I like the premise of different lives being lived by one person but found the characters hard to sympathise with. For me the storyline was a little confusing.

It took me a few chapters to get into this book, but once I did I really enjoyed it. Lewis weaves a clever tale of the events that shape our lives, and how a different event might have sent us on a different trajectory. It was also a very believable look at the power of our inner feelings, thoughts and fears, and how we can travel deep inside ourselves to find the answers we seek.

The portrayal of a controlling, abusive LGBT relationship was excellent, and I believed every part of Iris and Claude's relationship. The ending had me guessing right up to the last sentence. A great read.

The Origins of Iris contains a compelling storyline that goes were few other stories will go. Through Iris we get an unflinching portrayal of physical and emotional abuse and what it can do to a victim. Iris is not by any means a main character that is easy to like. Because, as is obvious, her story is not an easy one. You get to see her go through different struggles throughout her life and all the decisions and events that take place and lead to where we find her at the beginning of the book. The parallel self storyline was definitely intriguing to explore and provided wonderful insight into what would have become of Iris had she made different decisions along the way. It was an incredibly intriguing and fascinating experience as a reader. I was enthralled from the very first chapter and finished the book in one sitting. Beth Lewis in my opinion did a phenomenal job with this book.

This is an extraordinary book; unsettling and challenging, unexpected and compelling. Iris isn’t an easy character to connect with when you first meet her—goofy is an horrendous term to describe her, given where the rest of the book goes, but it’s the first impression one gets. It undermines her, it invites us to judge her, dismiss her a little, but thats when you find yourself poised to occupy exactly the kind of privileged shelf from which to look down on a woman in the kind of danger she’s been in, and the reality of your own prejudices puts such an edge on her story. From there, she drags you into her mess so convincingly, you can’t look away.

Iris’s history of grief and blame plays out in all the expected ways, but there’s no simple villain in this story, and it’s the suggestions of respite and repair in her relationship with her wife, that invariably come to naught, that make it so harrowing. But by running this narrative directly alongside a manifestation of how her life could have been, in the body of the mysterious Other Iris who finds her—despairing and physically damaged —in the woods, the tension is pushed to unexpected highs, especially as Iris contemplates using this moment of entangled universes to switch over to the better life she missed out on. It’s the ultimate experience of torturing yourself with regret, and my heart absolutely broke watching both versions of this woman struggle with the same background demon.

Fans of Sarah Pinborough’s speculative-tinged bestsellers—Behind Her Eyes, especially—will find this a particularly compelling read. Absorbing, affecting, shocking, I would happily recommend this to anyone.

I also particularly loved the raccoon.

Uncompromising and honest account of losing your identity and sense of self to domestic abuse.

This is a hard hitting and at times brutal story yet it is also beautiful and magical. Iris entwines herself into your thoughts and heart and you can't help yourself from reading on to find out how it all ends. You care for her so much and want her to escape unharmed not only from the elements that surround her but from her wife.

The writing is beautiful and the way the author shows her inner thoughts and struggles is so cleverly plotted. I loved the sliding doors elements. The What Ifs. Even meeting herself in the mountains is so realistically portrayed. All the little emotions she feels. All the angst and hopes. What would life be like elsewhere? What secrets are hidden in the past?

I found the narrative powerful in the way that it was executed as now and then. It was so poignant to follow both timelines especially when it was about the relationship with her Dad.

An important book gorgeously written that highlights domestic abuse is not just gender specific.

This is a hard hitting, moving, gripping book which explores with searing accuracy the world of domestic violence, and shows beyond doubt that this is not a gender specific issue. Although there are elements of crime and even horror, it is at heart a moving personal drama, written with great sensitivity.

How to put into words how much I loved this book... The split narrative of the 'before' and 'after', the development of the characters and story line is amazing - I was hooked from page 1, and left wanting to know more at the end. The sign of an amazing book. I am new to Beth's work, but will be looking out for her other books.

Thank you to Netgalley, Beth Lewis and Hodder & Stoughton for an early copy of this book!

4/5 stars

A beautifully written and hard hitting story that very much lived up to my expectations of it.

Based on the fact that this book has a sort of parallel universe element to it with the other Iris, I added it to the list of most anticipated books for 2021. And it definitely did not disappoint.

It was beautifully written and I loved the way the then and now narrative was executed, and both the "then" and "now" chapters were alternating, and the author didn't focus on one more than the other which was great. I loved the way the character's backstory was slowly revealed during every chapter, and there was enough of a thriller-y and quite eerie aspect in this one to keep me engaged even though it is really a contemporary novel at its heart. There's quite a lot of twists and turns in this book that definitely helped with my engagement of it. However, it's just not quite a favourite book, as I did want a little more of a thriller aspect in the "now" chapter than it gave me, which is more a personal preference for me. Iris definitely is a very flawed character, so I can see why a reader could find her frustrating at times, because I certainly did, although this didn't impact my enjoyment of this story.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book, I will be picking up a physical copy when it gets released, and I am interested in reading one of Beth Lewis's other books because I did really like the writing style of this one.

A definite TW for abusive relationship in this one.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This book started out so compellingly, but the “sliding doors” turn didn’t satisfy me 100% I’d give 100% to the NYC narrative and 50% for the woods narrative, so I’d give it a 75% altogether on average which rounds up to four less than satisfactory stars. Sigh.

I was very excited when I read that Beth Lewis had a new book coming,and so very pleased to read it in advance.
Having read her two previous books,I really wasnt sure what we would get.
What we got was Iris,running away from her marriage,and trailing clues behind her as to why.
The whole thing builds up to such a climax,that I was left slightly open mouthed as I hadnt expected it to go that way at all.
I really liked Iris,and she tugged on my heart strings bearing her emotions quite a few times.
Another fantastic book from Lewis.

Indeed, abuse and domestic violence should not be a taboo, should not be blamed on the victim. That said, this book wasn't for me. I didn't warm to Iris as a character, and the story was a bit haphazardly.

'The Origins of Iris' by Beth Lewis is a contemporary fiction story, which I was given by @netgalley ahead of its publication this coming August.
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"Iris flees New York City, and her abusive wife Claude, for the Catskill Mountains. When she was a child, Iris and her father found solace in the beauty and wilderness of the forest; now, years later, Iris has returned for time and space to clear her head, and to come to terms with the mistakes that have led her here. But what Iris doesn't expect in her journey of survival and self-discovery is to find herself - literally.
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Trapped in a neglected cabin deep in the mountains, Iris is grudgingly forced to come face to face with a seemingly prettier, happier and better version of herself. Other Iris made different choices in life and love. But is she all she seems? Can she be trusted? What is she hiding?
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As a storm encroaches, threatening both their lives, time is running out for them to discover why they have been brought together, and what it means for their futures."
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This story is full of emotions; I adored Iris' father, and my heart ached for his sadness. The new-love excitement for Iris and Claude was soon replaced with resentment and anger, as their negative domestic dramas developed.
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The story is similar in ways to The Midnight Library, but a lot deeper and more adult.
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I liked it. The plot was occasionally confusing, but generally the stort was eye-opening and made me think. I would recommend.

I've long been a fan of Beth Lewis and have seriously enjoyed her previous works. I've always felt that she has been underappreciated and undervalued as an author previously, as her stories have simply been compelling.
I feel those views could change now, as I was lucky enough to read The Origins Of Iris earlier thanks to NetGallery and simply stated, this book is a game changer.
I won't give away any secrets, but it's raw intensity and emotional charge is voracious and gripping. Some of the story and topics are brutally honest and raw, but these are truths that need to be spoken and told to a wide an audience as possible.
The story is captivating & the all the characters formed from such imagination & love. Such is it's strength & intensity, there were some chapters that were so emotional and poignant that I deliberately slowed my reading down to read, digest and think. To encounter such depth and challenge from a book is a wonderful thing and I genuinely hope that this book succeeds and is read by as many people as possible, as it should serve as a motivator for change and seen as a empowering, strong & wonderful piece of fiction.