Synopsis
'A magnificent novel' Belinda McKeon, author of Solace and Tender
'Truly unforgettable' Fíona Scarlett, author of Boys Don't Cry
'Everything I love in a novel' Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things
A heart-swelling beauty of a debut novel of love, trauma and found family - perfect for fans of Chris Whitaker, Liz Moore and Marilynne Robinson.
'Little Maude Rowe sits in the crick, her pockets heavy with gold, the blood on her face turned to powdered rust . . .'
In a remote valley in Idaho in 1981, a man, a woman and three children stop running to wash the blood from their hands and bodies. They are the few survivors of a terrible tragedy. Their only choice now is, somehow, to become a family.
Five years earlier, Opal and her husband James arrive in the small mining community of Silver Valley, drawn by promises of fortune and independence. There they meet Baron Rowe, the charismatic visionary who controls the community with an iron fist. Baron's son Denny has spent his life trying, and failing, to live up to Baron's expectations, and to protect his little sister Maude from their father's excesses.
Soon, a tragic accident will change all their lives. And five years later, change will come again at the barrel of a gun . . .
*Selected as the Fresh Ink pick for Goldsboro Books debut fiction subscription box June 2026*
*A winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2024*
'Truly unforgettable' Fíona Scarlett, author of Boys Don't Cry
'Everything I love in a novel' Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things
A heart-swelling beauty of a debut novel of love, trauma and found family - perfect for fans of Chris Whitaker, Liz Moore and Marilynne Robinson.
'Little Maude Rowe sits in the crick, her pockets heavy with gold, the blood on her face turned to powdered rust . . .'
In a remote valley in Idaho in 1981, a man, a woman and three children stop running to wash the blood from their hands and bodies. They are the few survivors of a terrible tragedy. Their only choice now is, somehow, to become a family.
Five years earlier, Opal and her husband James arrive in the small mining community of Silver Valley, drawn by promises of fortune and independence. There they meet Baron Rowe, the charismatic visionary who controls the community with an iron fist. Baron's son Denny has spent his life trying, and failing, to live up to Baron's expectations, and to protect his little sister Maude from their father's excesses.
Soon, a tragic accident will change all their lives. And five years later, change will come again at the barrel of a gun . . .
*Selected as the Fresh Ink pick for Goldsboro Books debut fiction subscription box June 2026*
*A winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2024*
Details
21 May 2026
352 pages
9781786586254
Imprint: Manilla Press
Reviews
“Dirtpickers consumed me as I got lost in its lyrical language and pieced together its haunting narrative. Every sentence is a poem. One of those books that linger long after the last page has been turned. A gorgeous piece of work, everything I love in a novel.”Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things, Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things
“Dirtpickers is a magnificent novel. Edie May Hand's gift for language and for exploring the complexities of what humans are capable of is stunning.”Belinda McKeon, author of Solace and Tender, Belinda McKeon, author of Solace and Tender
“A sensational gift of a novel, laced with lyrical, evocative prose, with characters so vivid they live and breathe well beyond the page. A deeply human story of love, loss, trauma and resilience, a truly unforgettable read.”Fíona Scarlett, author of Boys Don't Cry, Fíona Scarlett, author of Boys Don't Cry
“A novel that will live in your head for a long time.”Belfast Telegraph, Belfast Telegraph
