Alice Falls Again

Above the care home’s doorbell hung a small plaque, which read: ‘ONLY FOR PRESSING MATTERS’.

“Well that makes sense,” said Alice.

“It’s about the only thing that does in this place,” quipped the Mayor of Banbury with uncharacteristic sarcasm.

Alice is torn between staying at home to care for her sick father and moving to London to study at college. So to be catapulted back to a twisted Wonderland is the last thing she expects. Or needs. Now in her late teens, Alice is smarter and savvier this time around, which is just as well, as Wonderland bears little resemblance to its former self. Animals are forbidden to talk, the townsfolk live in fear of a tyrant and the weather’s all mixed up. Characters and events appear to be straight out of the dark origins of our favourite nursery rhymes. Could a Jabberwocky be behind it all? One thing hasn’t changed; Alice’s curiosity and attitude might just be the death of her if she can’t find her way back.

Propelled forward by a tapestry of gritty wordplay and the sinister backstories of our favourite nursery rhymes, DJ Stoneham’s debut fantasy novel will thrill younger and older adults alike.

“A brilliant and amusing reinvention.” Kirkus Reviews

“Stoneham imbues his prose with a wit and poetry … an ideal fantasy for Carroll fans.” blueink

“Fantastical wonders and head-over-heels adventures abound … sentences are rhythmic, at times even poetic and musical.” Foreword Clarion