You know from the beginning that sixteen-year-old Janet has been murdered in her family home, lamented only by her pet jackdaw…but that doesn't make this beguiling narrative of Janet's ill-fated life in mid-nineteenth-century Scotland any less enjoyable. First published in 1991, this modern classic in the gothic tradition offers a darkly atmospheric coming-of-age story, rich with incisive literary allusions, vivid evocations of the Scottish countryside, poetic insight into adolescence and family, and brilliantly mordant wit. Author Ali Smith calls it "one of the best least-known novels of the twentieth century," so do yourself a favor and give it a shot!