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Sin Eater

The sin eater walks among us, unseen, unheard
Sins of our flesh become sins of hers
Following her to the grave, unseen, unheard
The sin eater walks among us.

The Handmaid’s Tale meets Alice in Wonderland in this gripping and imaginative historical novel about a shunned orphan girl in 16th-century England who is ensnared in a deadly royal plot and must turn her subjugation into her power.


Purchase the book through your local independent bookseller here: Indiebound or from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Google Play, Audible

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Contact Megan about a remote book club visit via Skype or Zoom: megan@megancampisi.com

A huge thank you to all the booksellers for their essential role in bringing Sin Eater to readers!

Winner of the Historical Writers’ Association 2021 Debut Crown Award for a first historical fiction novel.

"A riveting description of hardwon female empowerment that weaves together meticulous research, unsolved murder--and an unforgettable heroine.  Exhilarating...great storytelling...reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale or Russell Hoban's great sui-generis sci-fi novel Riddley Walker." – The Washington Post

Indie Next Pick for April 2020 "Oh my. Megan Campisi's Sin Eater completely took me by surprise. It is a wholly unique combination of fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction. Filled with intriguing characters and vivid imagery, this inventive tale will immerse readers in the deceit and intrigue of the royal court. Campisi's narrator is what really sets this novel apart--the sin eater, a woman called to hear the sins of the dying and consume the foods that represent them. A dark, thrilling read!" —Anderson McKean, Page and Palette, Fairhope, AL American Booksellers Association

One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2020. "A dark, propulsive novel that twists your stomach in all the right ways.” — Lit Hub

“A keenly researched feminist arc of unexpected abundance, reckoning, intellect, and ferocious survival” — Maria Dahvana Headley, author of The Mere Wife

Sin Eater is “a dark, rich story replete with humor, unforgettable characters, and arcane mysteries. It casts a spell on your heart and mind until the final page” —Jennie Melamed, author of Gather the Daughters.

“Magnificent...complex, vivid... This vision of Renaissance outsiders is exactly what historical fiction lovers have unknowingly craved.”— New York Journal of Books

“[A] rousing, impressive debut… Campisi’s stirring portrait of injustice is deepened by May’s cleverness, frustration, and grief. This spellbinding novel is a treat for fans of feminist speculative fiction.” — Publishers Weekly

“[V]ery much reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale. In this way, it transcends its historical roots to give us a modern heroine. Richly imaginative and strikingly contemporary.” — Kirkus Reviews

"Think a cross between Margaret Atwood and Umberto Eco with this one, and it is a phenomenal read.”— Palm Beach Post

“May is just a character, birthed from the mind of one particularly brilliant author. Her story is fictional, the history an alternate version of our own. But it was a reminder that even in times worse than ours, people lived and fought and loved and triumphed. May’s resolve to live her life despite the many people in her path who directly or implicitly wish she wouldn’t inspired me. She reminded me that I’ve lived through hard times before, and I emerged on the other side more or less intact. My soul, now, is richer, my own story fuller, from the things I’ve survived and will continue to survive. Just like May.” — Medium/Angela Lashbrook

“Dark and evocative” Pop Sugar

“Dark and deeply affecting.”   Scribbling in the Storage Room

For the crime of stealing bread, fourteen-year-old May receives a life sentence: she must become a Sin Eater—a shunned woman, brutally marked, whose fate is to hear the final confessions of the dying, eat ritual foods symbolizing their sins as a funeral rite, and thereby shoulder their transgressions to grant their souls access to heaven.

Orphaned and friendless, apprenticed to an older Sin Eater who cannot speak to her, May must make her way in a dangerous and cruel world she barely understands. When a deer heart appears on the coffin of a royal governess who did not confess to the dreadful sin it represents, the older Sin Eater refuses to eat it. She is taken to prison, tortured, and killed. To avenge her death, May must find out who placed the deer heart on the coffin and why.