Chelsea Bieker is the author of the debut novel Godshot and the story
collection Heartbroke, which was an NPR Best Book of the Year. Her writing
has appeared in The Paris Review, Granta, The Cut, McSweeney's, and
elsewhere. She is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Writers' Award, as well as
residencies at MacDowell and Tin House. Originally from California's Central
valley, she lives in Portland, Oregon with her family.
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Clove has spent years building the perfect life. It's about to come crashing down.
To the outside world, Clove has it all. Thanks to her lies, she's landed the life of her dreams, complete with a kind, reliable husband, two adorable children, a stable family home. So what, if silencing the memories of her own abusive childhood means racking up a little credit card debt or obsessing about her wellness routine? Nothing to see here. But then a letter arrives from a women's prison in California – a letter that threatens to expose the secrets of a past she has worked so hard to hide. Soon, Clove will become caught up in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the very people she thought she had outrun. No amount of shopping, green juice or meditation can help her avoid the defining day of her life forever. Brave, hilarious and full of surprising twists, Madwoman is a story about violence, recovery, and Clove's refusal to be defined by her worst experiences.
