Womens Prize For Fiction Winner
A Crime in the Neighborhood
by Suzanne Berne
Summary
In a Washington suburb during the Watergate summer, a young girl watches the murder of a local boy curdle the trust of her quiet street. Berne filters national paranoia through the narrowing gaze of a child desperate to assign blame, and the family fracturing around her. The novel turns suburban anxiety into a study of how communities manufacture a suspect.
”
Historical Context & Significance
Suzanne Berne, an American debut novelist, won ahead of more established names, signalling the prize's openness to new voices.