In Pagford, local council member Barry Fairbrother dies suddenly in his forty-fifth year. The event shocks the townspeople. In a provincial English town with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, idyll seems to reign — but is that really so? What lies behind the pretty English facades?
In fact, the quiet little town has long been in a state of war. The rich clash with the poor, teenagers with their parents, wives with husbands, teachers with pupils… Pagford is not what it seems at first glance.
But the vacant seat on the local council only sharpens all these conflicts and threatens to bring about a war the small town has never seen before. Who will manage to win the election, filled with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations?
This is a big novel about a small town and J. K. Rowling’s first book for adults. A splendid work created by an amazing storyteller.