Private Rites

In the not-so-distant future that is presented in Armfield’s retelling of Shakespeare’s King Lear, heavy rain consistently pours from overcast skies. As a result, most people across the globe must evacuate to higher-ground cities to escape dangerous flooding. In the midst of environmental catastrophe and increasing societal unrest, three half-sisters—Isla, Irene, and Agnes—learn that their father, an esteemed architect, has died. All three daughters were estranged from him, and the relationships among the siblings are also strained, at best, and made more complicated by their father’s infidelity with Agnes’s mother. The narrative explores the women’s past familial trauma as well as their present-day conflicts as they attempt not to let their upbringing define their relationships with each other or their connections to others. The internal and familial tensions in this novel are underscored by the growing fervor in their city for arcane rituals and religions that have ties to their past. This is only hinted at until it comes together in a climactic ending. Previous knowledge of King Lear is not a requirement to understand Armfield’s story.