Catherine Chidgey’s The Book of Guilt is a gripping and unsettling story that explores identity, belonging, and the ethical boundaries of scientific research. Set in an alternate 1970s Britain, the novel follows triplet brothers Vincent, William, and Lawrence, who are raised in a secluded mansion called Sycamore House. Controlled by their caretakers and subjected to constant observation, their lives begin to unravel as secrets about their upbringing and the sinister “Sycamore Project” emerge.

The characters in The Book of Guilt are vividly drawn, each contributing to the novel’s unsettling atmosphere. The triplets—Vincent, William, and Lawrence—are the heart of the story, their bond both endearing and heartbreaking as they grapple with the constraints of their confined existence. Each brother has a distinct personality: Vincent is curious and reflective, William is more obedient and cautious, while Lawrence is the most rebellious, pushing the boundaries of their world.

Chidgey’s writing is elegant and atmospheric, drawing readers into the eerie isolation of the triplets’ world. The slow build of tension keeps you hooked, and the revelations are both shocking and thought-provoking. Themes of morality, experimentation, and human value are explored with depth and sensitivity. This is a haunting and powerful read that fans of dystopian and psychological fiction will love. Highly recommended.

Set in post-WWII England we meet Vincent, a triplet, who lives in a residential care home under the Sycamore Scheme with his brothers Laurence and William. They are cared for by Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon, and Mother Night. Their dreams are recorded, the errors of their ways are recorded, and they take daily meds to help them with The Bug. The boys dream of nothing more than being sent to the Big House in Margate where they can live by the sea and spend their time in the fairground.

This is all relatively ok, until we start to see that everything is not quite as it seems. The boys are shunned by local residents, their entire education comes from a children’s encyclopaedia that has missing pages, and they have socialisation days. When a visiting resident tells them that Margate isn’t Margate, and that the pills are making them sick, Vincent starts to question the world around him. All is curated by Alastair Roach, a well respected doctor who established the Sycamore Scheme. He is uber-confident and his curious mind knows no bounds… or boundaries for that matter.


The Book of Guilt explores an alternative ending to WWII and the implications it had on Britain - if that doesn’t set the premise for an uncomfortable read I don’t know what will. From the beginning this book feels eerie. There’s an air of foreboding and you just know that something is not right. I found this to be a compelling read and I loved how invested I was in the cast of characters and their stories; my jaw dropped on a few occasions! I love how Chidgey writes and I absolutely adore how she takes moral dilemmas and pushes us outside our comfort zones. A fantastic book that will sit with you for a long time after reading it.

This review will be posted on Instagram @getting.back.to.books and anotherchapterpodcast.ie - with sincere thanks to NetGalley andJohn Murray Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Book of Guilt is a dystopian novel set in an alternate 1970s Britain. It follows triplets Vincent, William, and Lawrence, who live in Sycamore House, cared for by three “Mothers”. Their lives are controlled by strict rules and mysterious medicine, As the government begins to wind down the Sycamore Project, unsettling truths about their upbringing and purpose come to light..

The book raises questions about what it means to be human and the ethics of medical research A real must-read for lovers of dystopian fiction.

This book is so skilfully written. The drip feeding of information about the boys and the real purpose of the Sycamore homes is perfectly timed as the details of their lives are slowly revealed. Highly recommended.

I wasn't a fan of Chidgey's last release, but since this one sounded so different, I thought my opinion might change. I don't think I like her style of writing; she's just not an author that I think is for me. Again, a fab synopsis that I wasn't a fan of its execution.

This was a strange read for me it was very odd and I found it hard to get engaged with it at all.
I actually felt like I was wading through treacle plodding on from chapter to chapter, I dislike not finishing a book so did read till the end but it just wasn’t for me.
Hopefully other readers will enjoy more
Thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the Arc.

Reminiscent of some of the themes In Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go" the children of the Sycamore homes are shunned for reasons the reader is not made aware of initially and live very strange, sheltered lives due to their illnesses.
The situation in the homes is well described and the various books, of knowledge, of guilt and of dreams are pivotal to the children's daily lives.
However all is not as it seems nad as the homes are wound down and the children are sought places in society to live the clarity this brings to the central characters is heartbreaking.
A thought provoking read.

After all the incredible reviews, I was enormously excited to read this. Sadly, I really didn't love it at all. Reminded me of Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go' but no where near as good.

It is an odd story. Neither the characters, nor the plot engaged me at all. Read to the end because it was a quick easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC

This book is a hybrid of dystopia and thriller and I felt it to be slightly ill at ease with both genres.

It is based on the premise of a fictitious post-war government scheme that used research conducted in the camps during the war in order to advance the countries medical knowledge to benefit its citizens. Most of them anyway -unless you were unfortunate enough to be living in one of the Sycamore Homes, like Vincent, William and Lawrence, triplets who are the last residents in one of these homes isolated from the public and being looked after by Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night.

Right from the beginning the reader has a feeling of unease and foreboding, there are too many things that don’t seem to be quite right. This feeling becomes certainty as the story evolves and more of the lives of the boys as well as the machinations of powerful political drivers behind the scheme are revealed.

The story explores themes of gene technology and the ethics of medical research as well as the fundamental questions of what is a life, what is it worth and are there lives more worthy than others? This exploration remains very much at surface level but it does invite the reader to ponder their own answers to these questions.

I am grateful to NetGalley and John Murray Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s rare to come across a novel so flawlessly crafted in every aspect. This is nothing short of a masterclass in writing! Read it, and be sure to spread the word.

Vincent, William and Lawrence are triplets and the last remaining children at Sycamore House, a secluded home in the New Forest in England in 1979. The children’s dreams, their behaviour, their sins are recorded in various books and they are watched over by mother morning, mother afternoon, mother night. When the government decides to close down Sycamore House, the boys lives begin to unravel. Bit by bit they begin to suspect that something else is at play. When they are allowed to socialise with girls from another home, one of the girls, Jane, tells Vincent that the medicine they are given everyday is actually what makes them sick. Vincent doesn’t take his pills and starts to feel better, better than he has in a long time, then Jane disappears, gone to the utopia that is Margate where all the children seem to end up and where the boys fervently hope to go too.

I loved this book, a dystopian novel, the really asks are some lives worth more than others? Catherine is such a wonderful storyteller and each book is different and unique.

#TheBookOfGuilt. #NetGalley

I was riveted by this book.Highly original, very engaging and thought provoking. I loved the way the story took its time to to gain empathy with the key character of Vincent yet evoked a tension with regard to the reality of the homes. The different mothers characters played a key role in the unraveling of the mystery.Impossible to guess how it would all tie together, yet it did, without going into the minutiae. A great read and highly recommended

Largely set in an alternate version of 1979, close to reality but unsettlingly different, Catherine Chidgey’s novel follows a set of triplets living in a children’s home in the New Forest, one of several that formed part of the Sycamore Project to be wound down under the new government. Thirteen-year-old Vincent, Lawrence and William have been told their parents both died young from heart attacks, obediently accepting the medicine administered every morning, recounting their dreams when they wake and attending lessons based on the Book of Knowledge. They’re polite and well behaved although sometimes William is malicious and violent. They’ve been brought up in isolation, treated with disdain on rare visits to the local town, comments that make no sense to them muttered as they pass. As the story unfolds, we learn about the Sycamore project through a series of reveals made even more jolting seen from Victor’s perspective. What seems comforting and routine to him, is a little off then alarmingly so to the rest of us. There’s a lot of darkness in Chidgey’s novel which asks big questions about nature and nurture, what makes us human, and the ethics of research all wrapped up in a gripping piece of storytelling.

Triplets, William, Lawrence and Vincent live in a Sycamore home. Their lives are spartan and they are rarely allowed out in the big, wide world. They have three mothers who record their dreams and their misdemeanours in The Book of Guil t but they don't know why.. When they are finally allowed out in town, they realise just how different they are but don't understand why people are scared of them. This was an uncomfortable and sinister read which explores the depths that humans are capable of if left unchecked. It felt particularly relevant in today's world. An excellent read.

Ooh this is so good .
I really love this book which grabbed my attention right from the very beginning where we meet three identical small twin boys who live in a house with three gardens all of whom are called mother. The mothers work on shifts looking after the boys and they are home educated every morning. The boys have to tell the mother about their dreams and if they do anything wrong there misdemeanours are recorded in the book of guilt of the book’s title
It’s difficult to review this book fully without giving spoilers but it quickly becomes clear that these boys are not living a normal life and the reason that they are in this group. Home is gradually explained and the full horror revealed.

The author manages to do this in a Satisfactory drip like fashion which is very skilful
The author has a clear easily read flowing writing style which is a pleasure to read. I read this book in one sitting really didn’t want to put it down. I love the way the author manages to mix reality and dystopia so it all seems perfectly real sadly.
Setting the book in a arts and craft style mansion separate from where the rest of the population lives as to the atmosphere and the isolation of the boys
I loved the use of Margate and its pleasure parks as an emblem for what happens in the future for the boys. I found it easy to imagine the holiday brochure that they found on their beds when it was time for them to be moved to Margate and the big house on the hill. All very chilling.
I would recommend this book for lovers of dystopian/speculative fiction if you like the books of Christina Delcher such as vox or Q or the handmaids tale by Margaret Atwood then I think you would like this novel
This is a well crafted novel story clips along at a fair pace and it held my attention throughout. I really loved it.
The book is published in the UK on the 22nd of May 2025 by John Murray press I read an early copy on NetGalley UK in return for a review
This review will appear on NetGalley UK , Story Graph and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com after publication it will also appear on Amazon UK

I adored Pet, so I was eager to dive into The Book of Guilt. This novel is vastly different—dark, disturbing, and haunting. It’s a cautionary tale that reimagines the end of WWII and its aftermath in the UK with chilling plausibility. Reading it around the US presidential election made the narrative feel even more unsettling, a grim reminder of how fragile history can be. Yet, this book is undeniably brilliant, masterfully written, and deeply thought-provoking. Let’s hope this vision never comes true. Five stars!

I adored this book. It piqued my curiosity from the opening. Familiar period details (1970s) overlaid by a completely unfamiliar political landscape and language.

The book defies explanation and this is the key to this very compulsive read. Triplets in some sort of care home cared for by morning, afternoon and night mothers; an overprotected girl for whom it seems normal to eat her meals in the wardrobe and government decisions being made that only very gradually start to reveal the status quo and how we got there from the perspective of the Minister of Loneliness.

The imagination of the writer is electrifying and she unravels plot strands with complete mastery. I found it my perfect read combining top tier writing, character, setting, plot.#JohnMurra

With thanks to #NetGalley and #JohnMurrayPress for the opportunity to read and review

It may seem like a cop out of a review as I only have one word… SPEECHLESS! One of the best books I’ve read this year. No description will do it justice, you just HAVE to read it!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publishers for my ARC

"The Book of Guilt" delves into the intricacies of belonging and the ways societal values cast shadows on individual lives. Set in a British boys' home during the 1970s, the story follows triplet boys navigating an unconventional upbringing amidst a community grappling with the government's plans to rehome orphaned children. Themes of guilt, identity, and the varying worth assigned to lives within this context are skillfully interwoven throughout the narrative.

The plot revolves around the emotional turmoil experienced by the boys as they grow up in isolation, their daily routines monitored by three maternal figures known as Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon, and Mother Night. Their dreams, lessons, and sins are meticulously documented in The Book of Dreams, The Book of Knowledge, and The Book of Guilt, respectively. Despite their stifling environment, the triplets cling to the hope of one day reaching the Big House in Margate, a place they imagine filled with sun, sea, and fairground rides. However, as the government moves to close the Sycamore Homes, the boys begin to question the truths they have been told.

Chidgey adeptly crafts an atmosphere rife with tension and unease, reflecting the internal struggles of the boys against a backdrop of societal neglect. The oppressive atmosphere is palpable, heightened by vivid descriptions of the surrounding landscape that amplify the boys' stifled emotions. Phrases like "surrounded so closely by growth" paint a world that is both nurturing and constricting, emphasizing the duality of nature's influence on their lives.

Chidgey's lyrical yet incisive writing style employs rich imagery to convey deep emotional currents. Her characters are multifaceted, each embodying different responses to their shared trauma. While the triplets share a biological bond, they exhibit distinct personalities and coping mechanisms, allowing readers to engage with their individual journeys and explore the complexity of their emotional landscapes.

Chidgey's ability to evoke empathy for her characters, even when they face morally ambiguous choices, is a testament to her prowess as a storyteller. By inviting readers to grapple with these moral complexities, Chidgey challenges us to consider how our environments shape our identities and moral compasses.

Through evocative prose and a cast of compelling characters, Chidgey weaves a narrative that lingers long after the final page, inviting readers to reflect on the profound questions it raises.

It’s the late 1970’s and the book is narrated by Vincent and Nancy.
Vincent, William and Lawrence are identical triplets, orphaned as babies. Brought up in one of The Sycamore Homes by Mothers Morning, Afternoon and Night, they have been poorly all their lives, but dream of getting better and being sent to Margate.
Nancy, lives with her elderly doting parents and hidden from the world. She’s a secret and she doesn’t know why.
When their stories collide - just wow!
Sad, fascinating and haunting, I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough to see how it was going to end.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.