Lapvona: A Novel

Synopsis

Set in a remote medieval village plagued by drought, famine, and superstition, Lapvona follows Marek, an abused shepherd boy whose life is shaped by cruelty, faith, and the strange forces that seem to govern the world around him. Raised by his brutal father and sustained by the affection of the blind midwife Ina, Marek is drawn into the violent orbit of the village's corrupt lord, where shifting loyalties and hidden desires begin to unravel the fragile order of the community.

Dark, unsettling, and fiercely original, Lapvona blends folklore, religious allegory, and Gothic horror into a gripping exploration of power, belief, suffering, and the human body. With her singular voice and fearless imagination, Ottessa Moshfegh creates a medieval world that is both grotesque and deeply compelling.

About the Author

Ottessa Moshfegh is the author of Eileen, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Death in Her Hands, and Homesick for Another World. Her fiction has received widespread critical acclaim for its psychological intensity, dark humour, and unforgettable characters. Eileen was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the PEN/Hemingway Award.

Publisher
Penguin Press

Publication Date
June 21, 2022

Format
Hardcover

Pages
320

Subjects
Literary Fiction · Gothic Fiction · Historical Fiction · Horror

ISBN
9780593300282