Synopsis
A haunting winter novel with obsession at its heart and folklore around its edges.
'Surreal, sharp and deeply moving'
Julia Armfield, author of Our Wives Under The Sea
'Will crawl beneath your skin and make you shiver'
Genevieve Jagger, author of Fragile Animals
Vivienne arrives at a boarding house on a tiny Finnish island hoping to rekindle her creativity and heal her broken heart. Instead, she misses her wife. Her camera hangs at her side unused. And her fellow guests keep inviting her into the forest.
Vivienne quickly grows close with Ilya, the affable caretaker, and Gagarin, a rebellious mycologist. The days pass in a blur of snow and birch trees and vodka. Yet the longer Vivienne spends in the forest, the more it consumes her. Haunted by lost time, inexplicable acts of violence, and rising tensions among the guests, Vivienne begins to suspect there's something darker behind Gagarin's determination. Because ambition always requires sacrifice. She's just not sure whose...
'Thrilling and aching in equal measure'
Sarvat Hasin, author of Strange Girls
'Simply mesmerising'
Elle Nash, author of Deliver Me and Animals Eat Each Other
'A book pulled directly from the earth. I loved it'
Amy Twigg, author of Spoilt Creatures
'Crawling with folky unease... classic storytelling at its best. I've never read anything like it'
Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface
'Surreal, sharp and deeply moving'
Julia Armfield, author of Our Wives Under The Sea
'Will crawl beneath your skin and make you shiver'
Genevieve Jagger, author of Fragile Animals
Vivienne arrives at a boarding house on a tiny Finnish island hoping to rekindle her creativity and heal her broken heart. Instead, she misses her wife. Her camera hangs at her side unused. And her fellow guests keep inviting her into the forest.
Vivienne quickly grows close with Ilya, the affable caretaker, and Gagarin, a rebellious mycologist. The days pass in a blur of snow and birch trees and vodka. Yet the longer Vivienne spends in the forest, the more it consumes her. Haunted by lost time, inexplicable acts of violence, and rising tensions among the guests, Vivienne begins to suspect there's something darker behind Gagarin's determination. Because ambition always requires sacrifice. She's just not sure whose...
'Thrilling and aching in equal measure'
Sarvat Hasin, author of Strange Girls
'Simply mesmerising'
Elle Nash, author of Deliver Me and Animals Eat Each Other
'A book pulled directly from the earth. I loved it'
Amy Twigg, author of Spoilt Creatures
'Crawling with folky unease... classic storytelling at its best. I've never read anything like it'
Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface
Details
24 September 2026
272 pages
9781786586513
Imprint: Manilla Press
Reviews
“Surreal, sharp and deeply moving, Under a Fur Coat is a novel of outstanding reach and polish. A distinct and dazzling new gothic.”Julia Armfield, author of Our Wives Under the Sea and Private Rites, Julia Armfield, author of Our Wives Under the Sea and Private Rites
“Vatomsky takes us on a brilliantly visceral journey of what it means to rearrange your life after heartbreak slices it in two. Under a Fur Coat is simply mesmerising - an account of what it's like to face some of our deepest fears. I want to stay lost in the cold, dark woods with Vivienne, Gagarin and Ilya.”Elle Nash, author of Deliver Me and Animals Eat Each Other, Elle Nash, author of Deliver Me and Animals Eat Each Other
“Steeped in folkloric mystery and longing, this is a book pulled directly from the earth. I loved it.”Amy Twigg, author of Spoilt Creatures, Amy Twigg, author of Spoilt Creatures
“Crawling with folky unease, Under A Fur Coat is a stunning debut. Vatomsky magically balances the eerie with the hilarious, creating characters that I'm desperate to follow into the woods. The landscape dazzles and the folklore they explore is classic storytelling at its best. I've never read anything like it.”Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface, Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface
