Pure

Deep in the belly of Paris, its oldest cemetery is, by 1785, overflowing-tainting the very breath of those who live nearby. Into their midst comes Jean-Baptiste Baratte, a young, provincial engineer charged by the king with demolishing it.

At first Baratte sees this as a chance to clear the burden of history, a fitting task for a modern man of reason. But before long, he begins to suspect that the destruction of the cemetery might be a prelude to his own. As unrest against the monarchy mounts, his straightforward assignment becomes a year of relentless effort. A year of assault and sudden death-but also of friendship, desire, and love. A year unlike any other he has lived.

From one of the best historical writers of our time, Pure is vividly realized fiction played out against the rich cacophony of Paris on the cusp of the French Revolution.

"This smart reimagining of the groundwork just before France burst into flames is something to savor." The Washington Post

"A novel of ideas disguised as a ghost story, voluptuously atmospheric, Pure exerts a sensual hold over the reader." The New York Times Book Review

"A compelling, timely novel, a narrative that takes death as its subject yet races with life." The Guardian