Fiction

A Reimagining of KING LEAR Set in a Near Future Where the World is Flooding

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Kendra Winchester

Contributing Editor

Kendra Winchester is a Contributing Editor for Book Riot where she writes about audiobooks and disability literature. She is also the Founder of Read Appalachia, which celebrates Appalachian literature and writing. Previously, Kendra co-founded and served as Executive Director for Reading Women, a podcast that gained an international following over its six-season run. In her off hours, you can find her writing on her Substack, Winchester Ave, and posting photos of her Corgis on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester.

As a huge Julia Armfield fan, I couldn’t have been more excited for her latest novel, Private Rites, to finally come out in the U.S. Armfield is known for queer, otherworldly tales that sit at the edges of the uncanny. She pulls horror and science fiction elements into her storytelling that are just the right amount of unsettling. Private Rites is a reimagining of King Lear set in a near future where the world is flooding.

cover of Private Rites

Private Rites by Julia Armfield

Somehow, I managed to get an MA in English without ever actually reading King Lear. So, right before the holiday break, I found myself sitting with my Riverside Shakespeare textbook open on my lap while I watched Anthony Hopkins perform as King Lear on my television screen. After my crash course on the basics, I was ready.

In Private Rites, sisters Isla, Irene, and Agnes are living very separate lives in their drowning city. But when their father dies, they are pulled back together. Isla is the oldest, and through her work as a therapist, she makes order out of the chaos of her life. Irene is a failed academic and is flailing career-wise as she tries to figure out what on earth she’s supposed to do when her city is slowly sinking beneath the waves. Agnes spends her days as a barista and spends her nights in a series of one-night stands. But when Stephanie enters her life, all of that begins to change.

From the get-go, I found myself engrossed with the story. The relationship between the three sisters is so well-drawn and complex. Isla tries to be so perfect, but her marriage is in shambles. Irene is mouthy and tough, but inside, she’s a mess. And Agnes isn’t ready for commitment until she meets the right girl. Their worlds collide when they have to deal with their late father’s estate, in particular, their dad’s house, which now sits above the rising water line.

As always, Armfield’s prose is stunning. It has this haunting quality that matches the end-of-world vibes of the story. Hannah van der Westhuysen performs the audiobook, and she has this perfect way of capturing each sister’s unique narrative voice. As the flooding crisis continues to grow worse, van der Westhuysen imbues her performance with all of the fear and urgency of a society about to fall beneath the sea.


You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, on TikTok @kendrawinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.