The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley: The spellbinding BBC Between the Covers book club pick

by Sean Lusk

A BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick and Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month, for fans of PANDORA, THE ESSEX SERPENT and THE NIGHT CIRCUS.

Longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2023 and the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2023.

'I just fell in love with it within the first two sentences . . .' - Ruth Jones

'One of the best books I've read this year . . . completely unforgettable' - Bonnie Garmus

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Zachary Cloudesley is gifted in a remarkable way. But not all gifts are a blessing...

Leadenhall Street, London, 1754.

Raised amongst the cogs and springs of his father's workshop, Zachary Cloudesley has grown up surrounded by strange and enchanting clockwork automata. He is a happy child, beloved by his father Abel and the workmen who help bring his father's creations to life.

He is also the bearer of an extraordinary gift; at the touch of a hand, Zachary can see into the hearts and minds of the people he meets.

But then a near-fatal accident will take Zachary away from the workshop and his family. His father will have to make a journey that he will never return from. And, years later, only Zachary can find out what happened.

A beautifully crafted historical mystery of love and hope, and the adventure of finding your place in the world.
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'Packed with intrigue, vividly drawn characters and heartstopping emotion, this beautifully written, ingeniously crafted debut is absolutely enthralling' - Sunday Express

'Really transports you to a different time and place' - Sara Cox, Radio Times

'A dashing, magical debut . . . intricately plotted, and peopled with intriguing characters' - Daily Mail


What readers are saying:
'an excellent historical, magical realist novel'
'beautifully written'
'full of love and humour'
'original and rich in historical detail'
'my best book of 2022'
'totally engrossing . . . unforgettable'

• ISBN10: 1473594413
• ISBN13: 9781473594418
• Publish Date: 9 June 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
• Imprint: Transworld Digital
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

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What is youth but the mainspring of a timepiece freshly wound, measuring the hours perfectly, ignorant that time must, sooner or later, outpace the tick and tock of his heart, leaving a man to rot until even his bones are turned to dust.

 

Thank you NetGalley and Random Things Tours for the chance to read and review The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk!

 

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley came out on the 9th of June and was published by Transworld Publishers, a Penguin imprint. It’s 355 pages long and Sean Lusk’s debut novel. The book is a standalone novel that borders on historical fiction/fantasy, action, and literary fiction. It’s also a great read for Pride month, but I won’t tell you how!

 

While the blurb is lovely, The Second Sight easily has one of the most magical covers I’ve seen in a while!

 

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley is set in 18th century London and Istanbul. It’s the story of loss and love and the ways in which love and loss can make us hurt the people we care about the most. It’s a well researched book and I love that the inspiration came from an English clock in Istanbul!

 

Zachary’s upbringing is an unusual one; with birds and clocks; fitting though, because he is an unusual boy, clever at understanding things just beyond the reach of others.

 

‘Mrs Margesson is possessed once again,’ he says cheerfully.

‘Is it the devil this time, or her late husband?’

‘Only the devil on this occasion, I’m pleased to say.’

 

After a terrible accident his father sends him away to live with his maternal great aunt and travels to Istanbul to unthought off consequences. As Zachary grows up and can see things that others can’t, things that turn out to be true, he travels to his father, long since presumed dead, to try and bring him home.

 

Any fool can teach belief.

 

There was no uninteresting character in this story. Each of them is lovely and real and intensely human and fallible, from Abel and Zachary, his grandmother, Lenora and Mrs Morley, and Tom. I also felt a little sad to imagine that Zachary could see so many things when he touched a persons hand, but couldn’t see what his great aunt had been thinking about for so many years. I also feel bad for Lenore, because I genuinely feel like Mrs Morley will be pretty overbearing and I want her to be able to strike out on her own amidst such strong personalities.

 

Is this moment not your answer?