Girl One: A Novel

by Sara Flannery Murphy

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Fan of The Power by Naomi Alderman? Fan of The Handmaid's Tale or The Testaments by Margaret Atwood? Binge-watched Black Mirror at least once? You need to read Girl One, ASAP. Be prepared to blow your mind with this terrifically inventive, cinematic supernatural thriller and coming-of-age story about the bonds between parents and children, the communities we build, and the power of truth to set us free.

Orphan Black meets Margaret Atwood in this twisty supernatural thriller about female power and the bonds of sisterhood

Josephine Morrow is Girl One, the first of nine Miracle Babies conceived without male DNA on an experimental commune known as the Homestead. The Girls were raised in the shadow of controversy—plagued by zealots calling them aberrations and their mothers demons—until a devastating fire at the Homestead claimed the lives of three people, leaving the survivors to scatter across the United States.

Years later, upon learning that her mother has gone missing, Josie sets off on a desperate road trip, tracking down the only people who might help: her estranged sisters. Tracing clues her mother left behind, Josie joins forces with two of the Girls, and they journey back through their past, uncovering secrets about their origins and unlocking devastating abilities they never knew they had.

Girl One combines the provocative imagination of Naomi Alderman’s The Power with the propulsive, cinematic storytelling of a Marvel movie. In her electrifying, wildly entertaining new novel, Sara Flannery Murphy delivers a rousing tale of love, ambition, power, and the extraordinary bonds of sisterhood.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250849281
Publisher:	Picador
Publication date:	06/14/2022
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	1,052,707
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Sara Flannery Murphy is the author of The Possessions and Girl One. She grew up in Arkansas, studied library science in British Columbia, and received her MFA in creative writing at Washington University in St. Louis. She now lives in Utah with her husband and their two sons.

Editorial Reviews

"If The Handmaid’s Tale and the Marvel Cinematic Universe had a baby, the result would probably look something like this feminist sci-fi thriller."
—Keely Weiss, Harper's Bazaar

"Full of multiverse alternate-timeline feels, Girl One all but dares you to imagine what the world would look like if humanity had made massive changes to reproduction in the 1970s . . . This trippy, detective-style sci-fi thriller rewards readers who stick with it . . . It will leave you thinking about the power of choice and the importance of family."
—Saira Mueller, Wired

"This is the superhero take on 1970s feminism that we never knew we needed—and after reading it, I’m a bit shocked it hasn’t been done before! . . . [An] Atwood-esque thriller."
—Molly Odintz, CrimeReads

"[Girl One] has a grab-you-by-the-neck premise . . . Once Josie starts her quest, dystopian gender politics turn into supernatural hijinks."
—Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times

“A genre-defying, thought-provoking thriller that is impossible to put down. Girl One is an engaging, timely exploration of identity and the power women possess when they band together.”
—Kami Garcia, author of Beautiful Creatures

"Murphy, smartly, doesn’t dive too deeply into the science of it all, but focuses on the women at the heart of the story. A compelling read."
—Emily Burack, Alma

“Girl One flares into the world with genetic possibilities and a bold remaking of history. A speculative feminist thriller of the highest order, Girl One is fresh, boundless, and thought-provoking. Certain books and characters linger long after the final page. Josephine Morrow and her extraordinary journey is one you won’t soon forget.”
—Mindy Mejia, author of Everything You Want Me To Be and Strike Me Down

"This twisty, fast-paced thriller raises some really terrific questions regarding ethics in science and media, especially as they relate to feminism and female agency . . . extraordinarily relevant even in this third decade of the 21st century."
—Doreen Sheridan, Criminal Element

“Sara Flannery Murphy’s Girl One is both a heart-pounding, bingeworthy thriller and a riveting exploration of creation, consent, and the power of sisterhood. Don’t miss this compelling new entry to the feminist literary canon!”
—Layne Fargo, author of They Never Learn

"Part fantasy, part thriller, this book feels like the perfect jumping-off point to start my sci-fi-inspired literary journey."
—Alicia Lansom, Refinery29

From the Publisher

04/12/2021

Set in an alternate past, this uneven speculative thriller from Murphy (The Possessions) centers on female asexual reproduction and the scientist who made it possible, Joseph Bellinger. In 1994, Josie Morrow, the first child of nine born of this process, believes Bellinger is dead. Then she learns that the house of her mother, Margaret, has burned down and Margaret’s gone missing. Journalist Tom Abbott, who was in contact with Margaret, wants to help Josie find her. Josie and Tom have enough information to locate the other mothers and children of Bellinger’s experimentation, and together they seek out the others who, along with Josie, discover they have supernatural powers. In an unexpected showdown, much of Josie’s twisted past is revealed, and Josie must face her most difficult fears—disappointing a father figure who has shaped her life. Turgid language slows this conceptually rich novel. Hopefully, Murphy will return to form next time. Agent: Zoe Pagnamenta, Zoe Pagnamenta Agency. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Narrator Jesse Vilinsky embodies a young woman who is both confident and vulnerable. Medical student Josie Morrow embarks upon a life-changing journey to find her enigmatic mother, Margaret, in this compelling audio production. Born “Girl One” on an experimental homestead for prospective mothers in 1970s Vermont, Josie remembers only fragments of her childhood. With meager clues, she forges ahead on a suspenseful investigation. Vilinsky channels the former homesteaders’ wide-ranging emotions as they grapple with memories and their place in a world that often reviles them. Vilinsky’s adeptness at regional accents and nuanced characterizations extends to the visceral rage that is menacing Josie and the other women. The satisfying climax is enhanced by Vilinsky’s well-paced performance. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

Narrator Jesse Vilinsky embodies a young woman who is both confident and vulnerable. Medical student Josie Morrow embarks upon a life-changing journey to find her enigmatic mother, Margaret, in this compelling audio production. Born “Girl One” on an experimental homestead for prospective mothers in 1970s Vermont, Josie remembers only fragments of her childhood. With meager clues, she forges ahead on a suspenseful investigation. Vilinsky channels the former homesteaders’ wide-ranging emotions as they grapple with memories and their place in a world that often reviles them. Vilinsky’s adeptness at regional accents and nuanced characterizations extends to the visceral rage that is menacing Josie and the other women. The satisfying climax is enhanced by Vilinsky’s well-paced performance. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

2021-03-17
In her latest work of speculative fiction, the author of The Possessions (2017) creates a world in which women can conceive without men.

Josephine Morrow’s mother has disappeared and the house where she spent most of her childhood has been set on fire. The source of the fire is unknown, and the only clues to Josephine's mother Margaret Morrow’s whereabouts will send Josephine on a trip across the country and into her past—a past that Margaret has done her best to keep her daughter from investigating. Here is what Josie knows: She was born on the Homestead, a woman-only commune; she was the product of a virgin birth; and Dr. Joseph Bellanger helped her mother achieve parthenogenesis. As she searches for Margaret, Josie seeks out the other mothers who gave birth on the Homestead. She also reconnects with their daughters, a couple of whom join Josie on her journey. As these young women get to know each other, they discover that they all have superhuman abilities—telekinesis, controlling the minds of others, the power to heal. They also encounter a number of people who hate and fear them enough to want them dead. This is a difficult novel to categorize. It has science-fiction elements and its basic plot is that of a thriller, but it’s written in a style that is well suited to neither. Using first-person narration, Murphy spends a lot of time exploring Josie’s inner life, which is not nearly as interesting as her outer life. This novel also suffers from some serious plot holes. Josie and her companions assume that their powers are the result of parthenogenesis, but no one wonders why—like the X-Men or the Justice League—they each have a unique power. More importantly, Josie has devoted her life to replicating the work of Dr. Bellanger, but when she has the opportunity to ask those in a position to give her information about his techniques, she never asks any questions that might lead her to the truth. Some of the mysteries that drive the narrative are resolved, but its central secret remains a secret.

Full of intriguing ideas that are poorly developed.

Kirkus Reviews