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Idle Grounds: A Novel

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Description

Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award for First Fiction Finalist for Scotland’s National Book Award for Debut Fiction “This debut novel is superb. Idle Grounds is a remarkable, preternatural study of a family reckoning with its own history … Bamford’s arresting novel briefly unveils the strangeness [of childhood] once again.” —The Telegraph In this mesmerizing, sharply funny story about a family in decline, set in 1989 New England, a group of young cousins wander deep into the woods their grandparents once owned—finding that the farther they go, the stranger their surroundings become. As always with these things it started with a birthday party. Lingering at the edge of a family party, a troop of cousins loses track of the youngest child among them. With their parents preoccupied with bickering about decades-old crises, the children decide to investigate themselves—to the rickety chicken coop, the barn and its two troublesome horses, and into the woods that once comprised their late grandmother’s property. The more the children search, and the deeper they walk, the more unsettling the woods become and the more lost they are, caught between their aunt’s home in the present day, their parents’ childhood home just through the trees, and the memory of the house their grandmother grew up in. Soon, what began as a quest for answers gives way to a journey that undermines everything they’ve been told about who they are, where they came from, and what they deserve. Told in the young cousins’ collective voice, in a mode that moves between childhood memory, New England Gothic, and a Reagan-era Nancy Drew, Idle Grounds is an “unsettling and sharply funny” (The Guardian) exploration of the interior lives of children and a gripping meditation on birthright, decline, and the weight of family history. A fable of the distortions of privilege and the impossibility of keeping secrets hidden, this is a novel about straying from home—only to come back unraveled, unsettled, and irrevocably changed. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner


Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 11, 2025


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 208 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1668070456


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 51


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.5 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.38 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #1,382,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #9,186 in Family Life Fiction (Books) #27,130 in Suspense Thrillers #29,452 in Literary Fiction (Books)


#9,186 in Family Life Fiction (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • A great read, captivating, funny and a delight to read
Format: Hardcover
From start to finish, the way it’s written captures all your senses, at time beautiful, at times funny and also terrifying! Would read it over and over again
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2025 by martine
    • ..the kind of book that stays with you...
Format: Audiobook
Idle Grounds Krystelle Bamford 02/11/2025 Scribner MacMillan Audio Idle Grounds by Krystelle Bamford is a masterclass in perspective and storytelling, offering a refreshing and unique voice through the eyes of a child. The narrative is rich with the kind of raw, unfiltered insights only a young, wide-eyed observer could make, capturing moments and feelings that adults might overlook. It’s a mystery at its core—a young girl vanishes, and everyone scrambles to find her. But what truly surprised me was how this seemingly simple plot evolves into a profound exploration of generational trauma and the complexity of memories. In the end, the novel makes you realize that we are shaped by the people and experiences around us in ways we often can’t fully understand. What struck me most about the book is how it’s not just a story, but an experience. Have you ever read a book and instantly felt that rush of excitement—like you've stumbled upon something truly special? That was how I felt reading this novel. It’s the kind of book you want to share, to tell people about, because its style, its language, is so undeniably compelling. Set in New England in 1989, the novel follows a group of cousins gathered at a family member’s house for a birthday celebration. While the adults are busy in the kitchen, the eldest cousin, Travis, leads the group upstairs to the attic. From the window, they spot something strange speeding across the garden—too quick for any of them to identify. Without hesitation, the youngest cousin, Abi, dashes outside after it. And thus begins the search, with the cousins trailing through the garden, the chicken coop, the parked cars, and the surrounding woods, each chapter taking them to a new location. The search for Abi feels relentless, yet the parents remain completely oblivious to the unfolding drama. This is a book that stays with you, inviting reflection long after the last page. Idle Grounds is an unsettling, thought-provoking, and beautifully written journey that explores far more than a child’s search for another. It’s a look at the ghosts of the past, the way trauma reverberates through generations, and how memory itself can be an unreliable narrator. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2025 by FullyBookedInKentucky
    • Strange Book
Format: Kindle
This is an ethereal, odd read. It's short and strangely compelling, but it also wasn't as gripping for me as it could have been. This is a book set in the 1980s, where an extended family gets together. The cousins are hanging out, and their 3-year-old cousin Abi runs off into the woods. The group of them head out to find her, and they end up in a situation none of them could have imagined. Again, this is a very strange book. The feel is very foreboding, yet also kind of detached. Our narrator is telling about something that happened in their childhood, so we know at least somewhat things turn out all right, but also we experience it in the time along with these children. The writing is stellar. The author's turns of phrase are beautiful and very atmospheric, with a true sense of time and place. However, that doesn't make up for the really strange plot. I think that people will either really resonate with this book or they will just not get it. I do find myself a bit in the middle, but mostly that's because it was short. If it was any longer I probably would have given up. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2025 by Melissa Parcel
    • Huh?
Format: Hardcover
I have NO idea what I just read. Zip! Never in my life have I been more confused. Idle Grounds has already earned my vote for worst book of 2025. Zip! While searching for the two missing siblings, one of the cousins secretly entered the home of an African American neighbor. Why mention her ethnicity? This information was neither important, nor needed because that was her only appearance in the story. Zip! The only thing I understood was the disconnect between the adults and the children. But, what did it have to do with the story? Zip! ALL of the characters were completely lackluster. Lastly, what was all that ‘zipping’ about? ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2025 by kimmyjoy
    • Well Worth the Wait
Format: Kindle
Brilliantly written, I was drawn in immediately and was there until the final page. I loved it, what a great story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2025 by Susan Margiotta
    • A Delightfully Strange Story
Format: Hardcover
@scribnerbooks | #gifted 𝗜𝗗𝗟𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦 by Krystelle Bamford is a book that’s not easy to classify or even describe, but don’t let that deter you. It follows a group of cousins, all gathered at their single aunt’s house for her birthday party. The adults are busy and the kids left largely to entertain themselves. When the youngest among them disappears, the rest set out on a quest to find her. In that way it’s a bit of a mystery and a bit of an adventure, but there’s more.⁣ ⁣ As strangely bizarre things happen during their search the story also has elements of magical realism, even a touch of horror. It’s also a family history, as the cousin who narrates (looking back from a future point) gives an overall picture of not just the cousins’ parents, but their deceased grandparents, too. The story is primarily told in the collective “we” which doesn’t always work for me, but this time was exactly what was called for.⁣ ⁣ I was drawn to 𝘐𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 because its description reminded me very much of 𝘈 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 by Lydia Millet, a top book for me in 2020. Indeed, the two books had many parallels: a group of children, distracted adults, a foray into the woods, magical elements, etc. I honestly think in this case having loved 𝘈 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 was a detriment for me with Bamford’s debut. While there was much I liked about the story, I’d given it very big shoes to fill, and they just didn’t quite fit as expected. Still, 𝘐𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 was an overall win and I’ll be very curious to see how other readers feel about this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⭐️ ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2025 by Susie | Novel Visits

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