The Book of Guilt – Catherine Chidgey

READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chaired by Tessa

Triplet orphans spend their life isolated in a special home cared for by Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night, learning about the world from The Book of Knowledge, having their dreams analysed in The Book of Dreams and their wrong doings documented in The Book Of Guilt. Set in a dystopian Britain in 1979, the book is influenced by moments from history and has a slow burn as the innocent boys come to realise the truth of their lives.

Before I knew what I was, I lived with my brothers in a grand old house in the heart of the New Forest. It had blue velvet curtains full of dust and fire surrounds painted like marble to fool the eye, and a panelled Entrance Hall hung with old dark mirrors.

TESSA
● I found The Book of Guilt a deeply thought-provoking and quietly disturbing novel that lingered with me long after the final page. The story unfolds at a slow, deliberate pace that kept me slightly off balance throughout. Just when I thought I knew where it was heading, it would shift unexpectedly, deepening the tension and sense of unease.

Told through multiple perspectives, the novel explores unsettling ethical questions: how power operates, how identities are shaped or erased by systems, and what happens when control is masked as care. Though the themes are undeniably dark, Chidgey handles them with restraint, revealing the slow build of understanding, the emotional weight of realisation, and the deep harm that systems can inflict. And yet, alongside the bleakness, there are moments of connection, acts of kindness, and resistance.

The book doesn’t offer easy answers, but for me, that made it all the more powerful. It left me thinking deeply about how we are shaped and what it takes to hold onto something. I was left with a quiet sense of hope, that even within systems built to suppress, the human spirit is not entirely breakable. A haunting, intelligent, and unforgettable read. I highly recommend it.

SALLY
●  I think I was about two pages into this novel when I decided I had discovered my new favourite modern writer. Catherine Chidgey’s prose is exquisite and I was constantly delighted by her clever use of language. 

From the very first line of this book we are made aware that nothing is quite what it seems and the tension of that knowledge kept me turning pages. I could not put it down.The characters were so well drawn and utterly believable. The philosophical debates that rage within the plot gave us plenty to dissect in our discussions and in my view some aspects mirror events both historic and current. When I finished the book I was left with a vaguely nauseous feeling about homo sapiens in general but a magnificent admiration for this brilliant author. 10/10 from me and I am now working my way through her other novels.

BRIDGET
●  The Book of Guilt was an easy and compelling read as it was so well written. It’s not fast paced but that didn’t make it any less thrilling. Chidgey unfolds a stirring exploration into the emotional burdens we carry, examining how obedience breeds power and control. Every character carries their own shadow of guilt, and Chidgey masterfully reveals how this guilt shapes identity, binds people together, and quietly corrodes their lives from within. I thought it was a beautifully written novel woven with a quirky humour. The funny moments added charm to a deeply layered, human story. I would highly recommend reading this one.

RACHEL
●  When you think Catherine Chidgey can’t get any better she produces The Book Of Guilt. #mindblown. What I loved the most was the respect Chidgey gives us readers, providing subtleties and hints to allow us to work things out for ourselves, and not resorting to cheap highs. There is a even pace, consistent reveal of information, and a lovely sinister undercurrent lurking. The characters are beautifully drawn, flawed and guilty but relatable in their societally impacted actions. My heart strings were pulled left and right all book long as I sympathised with or loathed characters and/or their behaviours. I hope this book wins every award it is eligible for.

JODIE
●  I was totally immersed in this speculative historical fiction novel by Catherine Chidgey from the first page. It was a thought provoking novel exploring ideas such as nature vs nurture and whether individual life is worth sacrificing for humanity as a whole. It’s full of twists and turns and I found it a real page turner. Without a doubt it’s a novel that is worth its weight in gold and I would recommend it widely.

---

Published 2025
Te Herenga Waka University Press
400 pages