The Eavesdropper
About the book
Within the Walls is a thrilling, haunting and beautiful novel about deceit, sorrow, escape and reconciliation.
In the French countryside of Normandy lies an ancient, mythical abbey with a library that attracts scholars from all over the world. Thanks to a scholarship, Sofi has gotten the chance to come there in order to write and in addition find peace. Behind, she leaves Sweden and a marital crisis with tragic consequences.
But she does not find the calm she is looking for. Like herself, the abbey carries a dark history and Sofi is soon plagued with visions and dreams about what happened here during the Second World War.
The fates of the soldiers are intertwined with her own until she no longer knows if what she experiences is real or not.
Who can she trust? Who is haunting her with whispers and knocks? Is she going insane or does someone want to hurt her?
What other people have said
A positive review is always a pleasure. These ones made me really happy.
[…] gripping novel about afflicting betrayal, great sorrow and trying to escape reality. […] The reader easily identifies with her situation and engages deeply in this very well written life portrayal. Bibliotekstjänst
Ernestam is characteristically herself, but in a Gothic shroud that fits like a glove. A book I’ll put on the shelf among the classics between Rebecka and The Turn of the Screw. Mats Strandberg, acclaimed author of thriller- and horror fiction, referred to as Sweden’s Stephen King
[…] finding that she possessed the ability to write as sinister and dark as this, for me, adds another string to her bow. […] so has Maria Ernestam once again proven that she is a masterful writer with a fantastic language. Boksann, Instagram
Very well written and engaging psychological drama with elements of a thriller […] an almost poetic language with certain passages making me almost associate with Polanski and an absolutely brilliant [note: audio book] reading by Maria Ernestam […] BlommigaBarbro, Boktipset
