Sin and Damage: Two Novels

by Josephine Hart

Two shocking novels of destructive obsession from a New York Times-bestselling author and "a remarkable talent" (The Washington Post Book World).

Sin: Ruth calls herself a malevolent creature, ruled since childhood by hatred and envy for her adopted sister, Elizabeth. She grew up in Elizabeth's shadow, always falling short of her goodness and generosity, constantly resenting her very presence in the family. As they grow older, Ruth sets out to destroy her without guilt or hesitation. Ruth will strike Elizabeth where she's most vulnerable: She will steal her husband and send her collapsing into ruin. Written in Hart's concise, striking prose, Sin is a powerful and compulsively readable exploration of hate--and the destruction and tragedy it begets.

"The reader looks on with mingled shock and fascination . . . a tour de force." --The New York Times

Damage: Hart's debut novel, a New York Times bestseller, is "a taut, sinister tale" of a man's desperate obsession and scandalous love affair (Vanity Fair). He is a man who appears to have everything: wealth, a beautiful wife and children, and a prestigious political career in Parliament. But his life lacks passion, and his aching emptiness drives him to an all-consuming--and ultimately catastrophic--relationship with his son's fianc�e.

"A passionate, elegant, ruthless story." --Iris Murdoch

"Damage is a masterpiece." --The Washington Post

410 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2018

About the author

Josephine Hart was born and educated in Ireland. She was a director of Haymarket Publishing, in London, before going on to produce a number of West End plays, including The House of Bernarda Alba by Frederico Garcia Lorea, The Vortex by Noel Coward, and The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch. She was married to Maurice Saatchi and had two sons. She was the author of Damage. Hart died, aged 69, of ovarian cancer in June 2011.