The Pre-Loved edit from Shopbop
To share your reaction on this item, open the Amazon app from the App Store or Google Play on your phone.

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $17.46

Save: $9.97 (57%)

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Unsettled Ground Kindle Edition

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 678 ratings

Winner of the 2021 Costa Novel Award


Finalist for the Women's Prize in Fiction


Named a Best Book of the Month by Entertainment Weekly, PopSugar, Bustle, Chicago Review of Books, PureWow, a Best Book of Summer by Daily Beast and one of Good Housekeeping's Best Books of 2021


"Full of dramatic twists and turns right up until its moving, beautiful end." —NPR Books




At fifty-one years old, twins Jeanie and Julius still live with their mother, Dot, in rural isolation in the English countryside. The cottage they have shared their entire lives is their only protection against the modernizing world around them. Inside its walls, they make music, and in its garden, they grow everything they need to survive. To an outsider, it looks like poverty; to them, it is home.


But when Dot dies unexpectedly, the world they’ve so carefully created begins to fall apart. The cottage they love, and the security it offered, is taken back by their landlord, exposing the twins to harsh truths and even harsher realities. Seeing a new future, Julius becomes torn between the loyalty he feels towards his sister and his desire for independence, while Jeanie struggles to find work and a home for them both. And just when it seems there might be a way forward, a series of startling secrets from their mother’s past come to the surface, forcing the twins to question who they are, and everything they know of their family’s history.


In Unsettled Ground, award-winning author Claire Fuller masterfully builds a tale of sacrifice and hope, of homelessness and hardship, of love and survival, in which two marginalized and remarkable people uncover long-held family secrets and, in their own way, repair, recover, and begin again.


From the Publisher

"Claire Fuller's Unsettled Ground is so sharply, so utterly brilliant" - Lauren Groff

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of May 2021: After just four novels, Claire Fuller has carved out her own space in books—rural, vividly imagined, simultaneously contemporary and classic-feeling, and draped in secrets. In Fuller’s latest, Jeanie and Julius are 51-year-old twins living in what they consider to be simple splendor. They share a cottage with their mother Dot, where they sing folk songs, eat from their garden, and eschew most modern technology. But when Dot dies, the siblings are quickly exposed to a different reality. The twins adjust as best they can, Julius perhaps better than his sister; but they are essentially cast to the wolves as they struggle to keep afloat in a world that they had hitherto been protected from. And just as they seem destined to find their footing, they begin to uncover a trail of lies their mother had been maintaining. But this is a Claire Fuller novel, so you knew that was coming. Fuller has a gift for capturing the good feeling of life—that warm pocket that family can create—and she has an equal gift for showing how fragile the structures are that hold it together. —Chris Schluep, Amazon Book Review

Review

"Fascinating."
The Star (Canada)

"A darkly poignant novel about an unusual family."
Texas Public Radio

"Transfixing."
Chicago Review of Books

"A gorgeously written and moving portrait of a family struggling against time."
Lucy Tan, author of What We Were Promised

"An unnerving and emotional novel of family secrets, vulnerability and resilience."
Shelf Awareness

"Revelatory. . . . a powerful, beautiful novel."
The Times (UK)

"Fuller explores the painful realities of poverty and social isolation with immense sensitivity in this multilayered and emotionally astute novel."
The Guardian

"Prepare for an experience of the English countryside that's somewhat at odds with its typically idyllic depiction. . . . As the title suggests, at each turn there’s something new and unexpected."
Bookmarks

"A winner."
The Center for Fiction

"[Fuller's] absorbing novel unsettles us with its fine evocation of life’s fragility while grounding us in the healing powers of love, loyalty and nature’s bounty."
Independent (IRE)

"Engrossing."
Entertainment Weekly

"A book like
Unsettled Ground is why we read. . . . Written with tenderness and beauty, Unsettled Ground is not to be missed."
Sherri Gallentine, Vroman’s Bookstore, BuzzFeed Best Books of Spring as Recommended by Booksellers

"Timeless. . . . [a] shadowy family saga, which is marked by illicit love, violence and blood debts."
The Wall Street Journal

"An intriguing premise made more so by the paucity of novels featuring vulnerable older adults."
Financial Times

"Evocative. . . . Fuller builds suspense over the twins’ fate and ends with a brilliant twist."
Publishers Weekly

"One mystery after another arises and two siblings who have been left behind by the modern world face changes both gentle and profound."
The Daily Beast

"A page-turner. . . . reflecting the humble beauty of country life in every page,
Unsettled Ground will appeal to a wide array of readers."
Harvard Review

"Suffused with gorgeous little details."
Feminist Book Club

"Fuller is a master of building suspense. . . . At once unsettling and hopeful, her book checks all the boxes of an engrossing mystery."
Kirkus Reviews

"Devastatingly haunting."
Booklist, Starred Review

"Powerful. . . . fascinating."
BookRiot

"Rapturous."
The San Diego Union Tribune

"Ambitious."
The TLS

"Claire Fuller strikes the perfect balance between beauty and melancholy in this relevant and powerful exploration of isolation and life on the fringes of society."
Clare Mackintosh, author of After the End

"A simple but powerful story of rural poverty, sibling relationships and, perhaps above all, resilience."
PureWow

"Superb."
Daily Mail

"Beautiful and intriguing."
Across the Pond Podcast

"You'll find yourself desperately rooting for Julius and Jeannie."
The Weekly Reader

"A story full of secrets in which nothing is quite as it seems."
New Books Network Podcast

"Fuller’s prose is darkly elegant, her eye for character astute and humane, and her sense of place vividly atmospheric―here is a writer of great skill, sensitivity, and subtlety."
Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie Lane

"Wonderful.
Unsettled Ground is a beautifully constructed book with interesting characters, and I’m convinced I won’t read a better one this year."
Ron Rash, The Boston Globe

"Another sly psychological treat from Claire Fuller, who just keeps on getting better with each book."
Laline Paull, author of The Ice

"Fuller has created a propulsive story that readers can’t help but get caught up in."
Necessary Fiction

"An intriguing, moving novel that will make you question assumptions you have about modern life."
Tracy Chevalier

"If you’re a reader who lives for contemplative storytelling and perfectly wrought characters, this author is for you."
BookPage

"A quiet tale of loss and survival."
Good Housekeeping

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08LJBZ2NG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tin House Books (May 18, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 18, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1357 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1953534171
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 678 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Claire Fuller
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Claire Fuller is the author of Unsettled Ground (2021), winner of the Costa Novel Award and shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, Bitter Orange (2018), Swimming Lessons (2017), which was shortlisted for the Encore Prize for second novels, and Our Endless Numbered Days (2015) which won the Desmond Elliott Prize for debut fiction. www.clairefuller.co.uk

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
678 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers praise the writing style and character development. They find the characters fully realized and poignant. However, some readers feel the content is depressing and dark, with a plodding pacing. Opinions are mixed on the story quality, with some finding it fascinating and great, while others consider it grim and bleak.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

11 customers mention "Writing style"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style. They appreciate the good writing, characterizations, and language.

"...Her descriptions of the English countryside verge on poetry and her characterizations are full and poignant...." Read more

"...This is such a well-written book and follows the perspective of both Jeanie and Julius as they grieve the loss of their mother and try to put their..." Read more

"...Beautiful writing, tragic story. And while the writing in this was equally beautiful, I struggled to connect with the characters...." Read more

"Claire Fuller is an excellent writer, I have read all her books. They do seem to be on the dark side though. I always get sucked into the characters...." Read more

8 customers mention "Character development"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters. They find the characterizations full and poignant, and the book shows the strength of the human spirit.

"...of the English countryside verge on poetry and her characterizations are full and poignant...." Read more

"...This is a very character driven book and really gave me quite a bit to think about. I know I will probably think of this book often...." Read more

"...Fuller is a master of the grotesque character type (see the protagonist in “Bitter Orange”!)..." Read more

"...I liked Unsettled Ground because the characters are very real, I felt like I was right there with them feeling their pain & misery...." Read more

18 customers mention "Story quality"11 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed reviews about the story. Some find it fascinating and engaging, with a great plot and writing style. Others feel the story is bleak, depressing, and the ending feels choppy.

"...It gives testimony to the strength of the human spirit and well worth the read." Read more

"...other denizens of their small English village, and some mysteries about the past that unfold, and that is plenty enjoyable!" Read more

"...It was such a depressing story, but I couldn’t care about any of the characters. A lot of the story arc didn’t make sense. Why is all this happening?..." Read more

"I hated for this book to end. The story grabbed me right away and I couldn’t stop reading. This is a new author to..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's content depressing and grim. They describe it as a dark tale set in rural England, but still satisfying.

"II nearly abandoned this book due to its depressing content. I carried on because I know a bit about RH...." Read more

"...Set in rural England, this tale is sad. Layers of deceit and decades old secrets are uncovered...." Read more

"Too grim for the light hearted but I loved it. Real, old time, country people and their ways, language, family lore." Read more

Great Read!
4 out of 5 stars
Great Read!
What if the life you have always known is taken from you in an instant? What would you do to get it back?This is a rather dark story. Julius and Jeanie are twins. 51 years old and still living with Mom, Dot, in an isolated cottage with very little to call their own. They don’t even own the house. It is a rental and inside is everything they know. The garden supplies their food both animals and vegetables.Out of the blue Dot dies of a stroke. And the vultures begin circling. How will they survive? Will they be removed from the only home they know? Dot didn’t leave a lot behind unless secrets count. And oh, they do!There is a lot of darkness and poverty in this tale. Fuller always has spot-on characters and these two are no different. We watch as they keep pushing on. And begin to see things they never did before.It isn’t a light read, but it is a worthy one.
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2021
    Jeanie and Julius Seeder are peculiar siblings. Born 23 hours apart, they are 51 years old and still live impoverished existences with their widowed mother, Dot, in a rundown thatched cottage in the English countryside. The twins are puerile in terms of their naivety, life experiences, formal education and interactions with others outside of their family. Suddenly, Dot dies of a stroke. How will these child-like adults bury their mother let alone continue to exist without her?

    Claire Fuller is an award winning author. Her descriptions of the English countryside verge on poetry and her characterizations are full and poignant. She uses several terms that are of particular British origin, like "wodge, trug and gurns" and that might be off-putting to some readers. Other readers might also find the story of the Seeders too depressing, but in the end, it is transformative.

    Jeanie, in particular, evolves from a frightened, sickly girl, to a resourceful woman able to set the course of her own life. Jeanie's love for her dog Maude and care and concern for Julius are palpable. Along the way, painful and joyful truths are revealed that change the course of especially Jeanie's life. It gives testimony to the strength of the human spirit and well worth the read.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2021
    “It is hard to rewrite your own history.” - Unsettled Ground.

    Twins Jeanie and Julius have always been different from other people. At 51 years old, they still live with their mother, Dot, in rural isolation and poverty. Their rented cottage is simultaneously their armor against the world and their sanctuary. Inside its walls they make music, in its garden they grow everything they need for sustenance. But when Dot dies suddenly, threats to their livelihood start raining down. At risk of losing everything, Jeanie and her brother must fight to survive in an increasingly dangerous world as their mother’s secrets unfold, putting everything they thought they knew about their lives at stake.

    Firstly, congratulations to this book and its author, Claire Fuller, for being included on the 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist! This is such a well-written book and follows the perspective of both Jeanie and Julius as they grieve the loss of their mother and try to put their lives back together again. This isn’t a particularly happy read, and sometimes it was greatly frustrating what the twins have to go through. However, this book highlights themes of poverty, rural living, and a kind of sheltered life that I haven’t experienced in another book before. In fact, the book does take place in modern day, but it was easy to forget this because of the way the characters live and their surroundings. This is a very character driven book and really gave me quite a bit to think about. I know I will probably think of this book often. After reading this, I am eager to pick up some of Claire Fuller’s backlist books as well!
    8 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2023
    I really liked Our Endless Numbered Days. Beautiful writing, tragic story. And while the writing in this was equally beautiful, I struggled to connect with the characters. It was such a depressing story, but I couldn’t care about any of the characters. A lot of the story arc didn’t make sense. Why is all this happening? And for what purpose? What was the point of the musical parts? A miss for me on this one, but will keep this author on my radar.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2021
    It was with great anticipation that I purchased and started, “Unsettled Ground”, by Claire Fuller, having loved her previous novels!

    Fuller is a master of the grotesque character type (see the protagonist in “Bitter Orange”!) and in “Unsettled Ground”, middle-aged twins, Jeanie and Julius Seeder certainly fit that bill. The story opens as their mother, Dot, with whom they still live, dies suddenly. How will these strangely-raised twins adapt? Even Jeanie knows they are “weirdos”.

    Turns out that there were a lot of things Dot didn’t tell Jeanie and Julius, and the reader gets to find out along with them. This novel isn’t so much about plot as it is about Jeanie and Julius and the other denizens of their small English village, and some mysteries about the past that unfold, and that is plenty enjoyable!
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2021
    II nearly abandoned this book due to its depressing content. I carried on because I know a bit about RH.
    Since my sister also had rheumatic fever as a child, missed lots of school , and graduated with home tutors, I lived with this story. I. Was disappointed that the health of Jeanie, was purely in the mothers mind. The authors leaves many unanswered questions. The end wad a disappointment.
    6 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2021
    Claire Fuller is an excellent writer, I have read all her books. They do seem to be on the dark side though. I always get sucked into the characters. I liked Unsettled Ground because the characters are very real, I felt like I was right there with them feeling their pain & misery. Not for everybody. If you are someone who likes happy feel good books, I wouldn't recommend this book. If you love good writing, read this. I loved the dog! I gave 5 stars for the writing.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2021
    I enjoy this author's work. However, her subject matter chronicles the grim side of life. I felt incredibly sorry for Jeanie & Julius - 51 year old twins who are left adrift after their mother dies suddenly. Neither are prepared to navigate the world without her. Set in rural England, this tale is sad. Layers of deceit and decades old secrets are uncovered. Fuller's writing, as ever, is incredibly skilled and draws you in. I felt sympathetic for the main characters, even the dog, Maude, was a fully fleshed character, who plucked at my heartstrings. . A rather dark book, but extremely satisfying.
    8 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2021
    I hated for this book to end. The story grabbed me right away and I couldn’t stop reading. This is a new author to
    me, I have already explored all others she has written but cannot imagine any of them holding a candle to
    unsettled Ground.

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?