The Boyhood of Cain
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The Boyhood of Cain
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Narrated by:
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Jot Davies
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Written by:
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Michael Amherst
About this listen
A searing novel of love and betrayal as a young boy comes of age in the heart of England, from an exquisite new voice.
In the shadow of an ancient abbey nestled between rivers, Daniel is growing up. He is highly intelligent but little understood by his parents, and a secret passion burns inside him for love and recognition. When his father loses his job as the headmaster of the local school, his family stumbles into a rural life for which they are ill-prepared. Daniel’s sole solace is the arrival of Philip, a new boy at school, whom he worships with a confused intensity. Before long, both boys fall under the spell of a charismatic art teacher, setting Daniel on a perilous course that could lead to the betrayal of all he loves.
Tender, brutal, and enthralling, The Boyhood of Cain is a remarkable portrait of a young boy caught between mother and father, self and desire, and obedience and freedom. It evokes the passions and private wounds of youth, and plumbs the turning points in our lives that make us who we are.
©2025 Michael Amherst (P)2025 Penguin AudioWhat the critics say
“Amherst’s words matter as they limn Daniel’s life in beautifully realized, psychologically acute, and nearly granular detail. [Daniel] is an unfailingly fascinating, memorable character. A reader can’t ask for anything more."–Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Amherst writes with a measured pace and careful attention to his youthful protagonist’s malleability as Daniel questions his sexuality and other supposed binaries of life. The result is an authentic depiction of youthful fears and confusions.”–Publishers Weekly
"A powerful, searing tale told by a boy facing the plenitude of life but hemmed in by a world so…ordinary that he can’t wait either to flee it or be drowned in it."–André Aciman, author of Call Me By Your Name