The Novel

Shortlisted for both the Orange Prize and Booker Prize, Fingersmith is the critically adored third novel from Sarah Waters which is the inspiration behind The Handmaiden.

London 1862. Sue Trinder, orphaned at birth, grows up among petty thieves - fingersmiths - under the rough but loving care of Mrs Sucksby and her 'family'. But from the moment she draws breath, Sue's fate is linked to that of another orphan growing up in a gloomy mansion not too many miles away.

Read an extract
  • A chilling, ingenious erotic thriller – unputdownable

    Sunday Express
  • She distills a slice of London Victoriana, involving pickpockets, orphans and identity, into a fantastic plot and handles the story so well that you just can't wait to get to the end.

    Tracy Chevalier, author of The Girl with a Pearl Earring
  • Sarah Waters is one of the best storytellers alive today

    The Independent on Sunday