Here in Avalon

An "enchanting" (Caroline Kepnes, author of You) New York City fairy tale about two sisters that fall under the spell of an underworld cabaret troupe that might be a dangerous cult — but one that makes the materialist world left in its wake feel like a sinister cult itself.

Rose has come a long way. Raised — and often neglected — by a wayward mother in New York City's chaotic bohemia, Rose has finally built the life she's always wanted: a good job at a self-help startup, a clean apartment, an engagement to a stable if self-satisfied tech CEO who shares her faith in human potential, hard work, and the sacrifice of childish dreams.

Rose's sister Cecilia, on the other hand, never grew up. Irresponsible and impetuous, prone to jetting off to a European monastery one month and a falcon rescue the next, Cecilia has spent her life in pursuit of fairy-tale narratives of transcendence and true love--grand ideas Rose knows never work out in the real world. When Cecilia declares she's come home to New York for good, following the ending of a whirlwind marriage, Rose hopes Cecilia might finally be ready to face adulthood: compromises and all.

But then Cecilia gets involved with the Avalon: a cultish-sounding cabaret troupe — one that appears only at night, on a mysterious red boat that travels New York's waterways--and soon vanishes: one of a growing number of suspicious disappearances among the city's lost and loneliest souls. The only way Rose can find Cecilia is by tracking down the Avalon herself.

But as Rose gets closer to solving the mystery of what happened to her sister, the Avalon works its magic on her, too. And the deeper she goes into the Avalon's underworld, she more she begins to question everything she knows about her own life, and whether she's willing to leave the real world behind.

"Adeptly warping traditional fairy tropes, Burton weaves a lush ode to searching for the magic in life....Raises poignant questions about happiness, need, and personal growth, and leading readers to a startling and satisfying conclusion. This is a treat." — Publishers Weekly

"This book is moody, musical, and mystical, elements that become catalysts for characters to make existential decisions about how to live...Readers will enjoy this satisfying story of sisters trying to understand each other." — Booklist

"Burton's latest enthralls while exploring the frequently fraught nature of adult sibling relationships. Cecilia serves as the book's third rail, dividing its characters and imbuing every scene with a crackling tension. At once spellbinding and sincere." — Kirkus

Tara Isabella Burton is the author of the novels The World Cannot Give and Social Creature, which was named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, Vulture, and The Guardian. She is also the author of the nonfiction books Strange Rites and Self-Made. She has written on religion, culture, and place for The New York Times, National Geographic, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and more. She received a doctorate in theology from Trinity College, Oxford.