The Complex of the Past

The girls of the elite English boarding school of St. John the Divine were known for anything but virtuous behavior. They were fanatically devoted, sharp-tongued, and caustic, just as only teenage girls can be. For Josephine, the years at St. John feel like a lifetime ago. She hasn't spoken to anyone from there since the day the school disgracefully closed its doors. Josephine returns to old places. The visit evokes vague memories of the last weeks of doom that shook many. She is getting closer to the mystery underlying the long-ago school scandal. But the more Josephine remembers, the more it destroys her life, shattering not only her marriage and career but also her sense of self. Ellie Eaton's disturbing and provocative novel explores the contradiction between the lives we lead as adults and the experiences that shape us as individuals in childhood, prompting contemplation on how our memories can lead us to reconsider the past.