The Attic Child.jpg
The Attic Child.jpg

The Attic Child: A Novel by Lola Jaye

from $11.20
Hardcover:

A hauntingly powerful and emotionally charged novel about family secrets, love and loss, identity and belonging.
Two children trapped in the same attic, almost a century apart, bound by a shared secret.

Early 1900s London: Taken from his homeland, twelve-year-old Celestine spends most of the time locked away in the attic of a large house by the sea. The only time Celestine isn’t bound by confines of the small space is when he is acting as an unpaid servant to English explorer Sir Richard Babbington, As the years pass, he desperately clings on to memories of his family in Africa, even as he struggles to remember his mother’s face, and sometimes his real name . . .

1974: Lowra, a young orphan girl born into wealth and privilege whose fortunes have now changed, finds herself trapped in the same attic. Searching for a ray of light in the darkness of the attic, Lowra finds under the floorboards an old-fashioned pen, a porcelain doll, a beaded necklace, and a message carved on the wall, written in an unidentifiable language. Providing comfort for her when all hope is lost, these clues will lead her to uncover the secrets of the attic.

A hauntingly powerful and emotionally charged novel about family secrets, love and loss, identity and belonging.
Two children trapped in the same attic, almost a century apart, bound by a shared secret.

Early 1900s London: Taken from his homeland, twelve-year-old Celestine spends most of the time locked away in the attic of a large house by the sea. The only time Celestine isn’t bound by confines of the small space is when he is acting as an unpaid servant to English explorer Sir Richard Babbington, As the years pass, he desperately clings on to memories of his family in Africa, even as he struggles to remember his mother’s face, and sometimes his real name . . .

1974: Lowra, a young orphan girl born into wealth and privilege whose fortunes have now changed, finds herself trapped in the same attic. Searching for a ray of light in the darkness of the attic, Lowra finds under the floorboards an old-fashioned pen, a porcelain doll, a beaded necklace, and a message carved on the wall, written in an unidentifiable language. Providing comfort for her when all hope is lost, these clues will lead her to uncover the secrets of the attic.

  • Publisher: William Morrow

    Title: The Attic Child: A Novel

    Author: Lola Jaye

    On Sale Date: September 6, 2022

    ISBN 13: 9780063260375

    ISBN 10: 0063260379

    Format: Hardcover

    Retail Price: $27.99

    BISAC: Fiction / African American & Black / Historical

    Page Count: 480

    Dimensions: 9 in H | 6 in W | 1.5 in T

    Weight: 1.4 lb

  • Lola Jaye was born and raised in London and has also lived in Nigeria, experiences that shape the dual sense of home running through her fiction. She trained as a psychotherapist and worked in that field before her first U.S. novel, By the Time You Read This, was published by HarperCollins in 2009 — the start of a career that now spans six novels and a self-help book. She has written for CNN, HuffPost, the BBC, and Essence, often on mental health and race, and has spoken publicly about imposter syndrome and the long road from foster child to published author. The Attic Child, longlisted for the 2023 Jhalak Prize, is her first epic historical novel. She still lives in London.

  • Critics and fellow bestselling authors are calling it powerful, emotional, and brilliant:

    • "Powerful and emotional." — Lisa Jewell

    • "An impressive feat of imagination … important storytelling about issues of race and privilege and abuse, and a book that will stay with me for a long time." — Tracy Chevalier

    • "This is the first historical fiction that I’ve read where the protagonists from the past and present actually meet! So brilliantly written." — Reader review

    • "A beautiful and emotionally charged story … This was definitely an eye opener and one I won’t soon be forgetting." — Reader review

This book is for you if

  • You believe the quietest rooms can hold the loudest histories.

  • You're drawn to dual-timeline stories where the past and present finally meet.

  • You want a novel that reckons honestly with race, privilege, and abuse without flinching.

  • You root for characters who piece together their own identity from scraps of memory.

  • You love a story that earns every ounce of the word "unforgettable."

“★★★★★ You’re renting a brand-new hardcover for $12 instead of paying $30+. Even if you keep it, you come in under what you’d pay elsewhere.”
— Andrew B., Google review

Reviews from Trove customers

“★★★★★ With Trove the ordering and delivery process is quick and easy! Definitely recommend!”
— Caroline J., Google review

Trove is different.

We rent new books.

How renting works

Step 1

Rent this Book

Rent this book for ~60% off retail.

Keep it for 30 days and return it easily with the return kit provided!

No box, no label — just show the QR code at a USPS location.

Step 2

Receive it

Trove makes shipping simple and hassle-free.

Arrives in about a week or less, straight to your door.

Free shipping is offered from Trove Plus.

Step 3

Read and Decide

If you want to return it — great!

We’ll send you a free return label and QR code with instructions for an easy return.

Simply ship it back using the return kit at your local USPS. 

Step 4

Return it

Love it? Keep it — we’ll charge the difference between your rental and the cover price, as if you bought it new (plus tax).

And we'll always email you before your billing date, so there are no surprises.

Learn more about renting

Frequently asked questions

  • We believe hardcover books are too expensive, especially new releases. Trove gives you a better option to read new books immediately. Rent a book, then return it for free — or keep it if you love it!

  • Choose Rent New, read the book, then return it using the book return kit. If you end up keeping the book, then the remaining balance applies as if you bought it at retail plus tax.

  • Renting a book is kept for 30 days, two books for 60 days, and three or more books for 90 days. Trove provides a return kit with every book rental — simply pack and return the book(s) at your local USPS, and they will scan the QR code label Trove provides.

  • Keeping the book past your billing date automatically charges the payment method we have on file.

    Trove Bookstore complies with all local and federal laws. Should you have any questions, please reach out to hello@trovebookstore.com.

  • Running a few days late? No worries — just let us know by emailing Trove at hello@trovebookstore.com and we will work with you. Trove will send several email reminders before the billing date, so just let us know if you need any extensions!

  • The book(s) should be returned in very good condition so another reader can enjoy it! However, if a rental book is lost or returned with major damage, the remaining purchase balance may still apply.

    If something happens to your rental, please contact Trove at hello@trovebookstore.com as soon as possible so we can work with you to resolve the issue.

  • It’s yours! If you rent a book and decide you want to keep it, the remaining balance will apply. No action is needed. Trove gives readers the option to try out a book for a discounted rental price and only pay the rest if you feel the book belongs on your shelf.

Have more questions?

Reach out to us and someone will get back to you shortly.

More FAQs
Contact us