{"product_id":"clever-little-thing-paperback","title":"Clever Little Thing - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eHelena Echlin\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Sharp and unflinching--a perfectly unnerving story.\" --Ashley Audrain, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Push\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA taut, powerful psychological thriller following a mother who must confront a sudden and terrifying change in her daughter after the abrupt death of their babysitter \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCharlotte's daughter Stella is sensitive and brilliant, perhaps even a genius, but a recent change in her behavior has alarmed her mother. Following the sudden death of Stella's babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. But what's unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka's personality, from Blanka's repetitive phrases to her accent, to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCharlotte is pregnant with her second child, and depleted and sick with the pregnancy. She is convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella's transformation. But how could Blanka, dead, still be entwined in their lives? Has Blanka somehow possessed Stella? Has Stella \u003ci\u003ebecome \u003c\/i\u003eBlanka? As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, she is sure that only she can save her daughter. . . even though it's soon clear that her husband believes this is all in Charlotte's head. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHelena Echlin's singular, chilling voice holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, and infused with shades of the supernatural, \u003ci\u003eClever Little Thing\u003c\/i\u003e is an ode to motherhood and a nuanced critique of the caretaking industry, a page-turner that will haunt readers long after its epic, surprising finale.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHelena Echlin\u003c\/b\u003e has written for numerous publications on both sides of the Atlantic, including \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e. She taught at Stanford University for eight years and has recently returned to the UK, where she now teaches fiction writing for Oxford University's Department of Continuing Education. She lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 352\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.81 x 8.21 x 5.41 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 13, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47075675373707,"sku":"9780593656099","price":28.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0670\/2579\/7259\/files\/LizdQp4miW9780593656099.webp?v=1779785433","url":"https:\/\/thetaletrade.com\/products\/clever-little-thing-paperback","provider":"The Tale Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}