The Catch is the first novel by Lancastrian poet and writer Yrsa Daley-Ward, whose 2018 memoir The Terrible won hearts of critics and readers alike, perfectly focusing on the emotion and lyricism of life. Here, meanwhile, we meet twin sisters Clara and Dempsey, separated in childhood following the death of their mother. Both women grew up in starkly different environments – and became very different people.
Clara is now a bestselling author in constant need of validation; Dempsey is secluded, keeping herself to herself, filling her life with monologues of healing and redemption. Everything changes when Clara comes across a woman who looks just like their mother, except not aged a day. As good as estranged to this moment, the sisters reunite and begin trying to discover the truth.
The Catch is wonderfully written, full of poetic and distinctive sentences that will remain long after reading. Its multiple timelines and realities may prove confusing for some, but for others will offer an enriching experience. There is so much in this novel about women willing to live life on their own terms, about creativity, familial bonds; The Catch is a fever dream of a novel from one of the most unique writers working today.