Praise for The Marlowe Papers
(Winner: Desmond Elliott Prize 2013, Author’s Club Best First Novel Award 2013, Longlisted: Women’s Fiction Prize 2013. Featured on BBC Radio 3’s The Verb.)
“The Marlowe Papers thunders along like an episode of some Elizabethan 24.” Jonathan Barnes in Literary Review
“For me, The Marlowe Papers is the best read, so far, this year.” Martin Newell in The Express
“Themes of identity and self-esteem, of truth and loyalty, give substance to Barber’s enthralling plot in a work that combines historical erudition with a sharply satisfying read. Marlowe’s passion infects the page; Barber’s skill draws the fever.” James Urquhart in the Independent
“This rich and charmingly playful work avoids the potential for whimsy inherent in such an undertaking. The thrill at reimagining the events and era comes through wave after wave in Barber’s blank verse.” Adam O’ Riordan in The Telegraph
“The verse is subtle and varied enough never to disturb the ear, and in fact you forget that you’re reading poetry at all. This is no bawdy, cod-Shakespearean romp. And if it doesn’t quite make you believe, you look again at Marlowe’s dangerous era with its riddles, disguises, allusions and concealments, and you begin to wonder …” Suzy Feay in the Financial Times
“An accomplished writer, she composes effective blank verse and is playful with form: her research into Marlowe’s documented life forms a series of gripping flashbacks, and her introduction to a cast of characters from the theatre and the court is deft” Jackie Watson in the Times Literary Supplement
“Barber is an accomplished poet, and as a sustained exercise in nuanced poetic narrative this is a remarkable book.” Charles Nicholl in The New York Times
“Brilliant! Virginia Woolf would have written this as a stream of consciousness novel; this works much better.” Cahal Dallat on BBC Radio 4 Saturday Review
“With the screw-tightening verve of a great thriller and the romantic pull of Renaissance poetry, the novel — which purports that Marlowe is the true author of William Shakespeare’s legendary oeuvre — is a gripping, lyrical, most unlikely page-turner.” J Rentilly in American Way
Praise for Devotion
(Longlisted: Encore Award 2015. Featured on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.)
“compelling… a novel so animated with fascinating, troubling ideas.” Suzi Feay in The Guardian
“The focus may be on the eternal questions but it is Barber’s ability to capture the small details of humanity that makes Devotion worth the read.” The Financial Times
“Intelligent, poetic writing … Barber weaves together the struggles of these complex characters with taut, high-stakes encounters in episodic chapters, making this a pacy novel in spite of the weighty subject matter; and barely a word is misplaced.”Times Literary Supplement
“Barber’s prose is compelling and she brings a real sympathy to Logan’s character in particular” The Independent
“Barber’s sensational premise delivers an unexpectedly piercing exploration of loss and different kinds of faith.” Kirkus Reviews
“Barber’s poetic prose is a sheer pleasure to read, and because of her skill, the book is a rewarding meditation on the tragedies that motivate or destroy a person’s reasons for living.” Publishers’ Weekly