The Skin and Its Girl

“Poetic, queer, and highly inventive, The Skin and Its Girl is an enchanting, memorable story.”—Bustle

“Readers will come to love and need Betty and the other engaging characters and compelling plot that inhabit The Skin and Its Girl.”—The Oregonian
 
“The search for identity pulses through this beguiling debut. With The Skin and Its Girl, Cypher launches herself into the stratosphere of best emerging writers. She’ll leave you gobsmacked as she weaves queer coming-of-age with a storied family drama.”—Debutiful

“Beautifully detailed as a piece of Palestinian embroidery, this bold, vivid novel will speak to readers across genders, cultures, and identities. Sarah Cypher weaves a brilliant tale of family, magic, and enduring legacy—a must-read.”—Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Fencing with the King and Crescent

“Imaginative, bold, and vividly drawn, Cypher’s tale of exile, inheritance, and the healing power of love will crack you open.”—Nadia Owusu, author of Aftershocks

“The Skin and Its Girl is a thrilling ode to the power of storytelling, to a story’s ability to illuminate and conceal, to preserve and destroy. Betty Rummani—born with cobalt-blue skin, into a family rich with ingenuity and secrets—is one of the most memorable and original protagonists I’ve come across in ages. She leapt straight off the page and made a home in my imagination. I loved falling under the spell of Sarah Cypher’s hypnotic debut.”—Laura van den Berg, author of I Hold a Wolf by the Ears

“Lush . . . captivating . . . With beautiful writing and evocative themes, this author makes a notable entrance.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Stirring . . . There are elements of magic realism in this captivating novel about the importance of family and story, but more importantly, the tale is enriched by the presence of fully realized, multidimensional characters. . . . [A] splendid first novel.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Whimsical and powerful . . . Cypher’s prose has a softness to it and a melodic cadence. . . . The story feels like it’s being untangled as it’s told, and this—along with subtle glimpses of almost-magic—provides the sense of mystery that permeates the book. The Skin and Its Girl is an intriguing debut, a story within a story within a story, and a lyrical and haunting journey through generations and across oceans.”—BookPage