The Sisterhood cover art

The Sisterhood

Big Brother is watching. But they won't see her coming.

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The Sisterhood

By: Katherine Bradley
Narrated by: Beth Eyre
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About this listen

 PRE-ORDER THE INSTITUTE, THE NEW HIGH-CONCEPT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER BY KATHERINE BRADLEY, OUT SPRING 2026.

‘Frightening and timely, Bradley’s The Sisterhood is the book everyone should read this year. If you thought it ended with Orwell, think again . . .' CHRISTINA DALCHER

Vox meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this feminist reimagining of 1984

In Oceania, whoever you are, Big Brother is always watching you and trust is a luxury that no one has. Julia is the seemingly perfect example of what women in Oceania should be: dutiful, useful, subservient, meek. But Julia hides a secret. A secret that would lead to her death if it is discovered. For Julia is part of the underground movement called The Sisterhood, whose main goal is to find members of The Brotherhood, the anti-Party vigilante group, and help them to overthrow Big Brother. Only then can everyone be truly free.

When Julia thinks she’s found a potential member of The Brotherhood, it seems like their goal might finally be in their grasp. But as she gets closer to Winston Smith, Julia’s past starts to catch up with her and we soon realise that she has many more secrets than we’d first imagined – and that overthrowing Big Brother might cost her everything – but if you have nothing left to lose then you don’t mind playing the game . . .

This is a story about love, about family, about being a woman, a mother, a sister, a friend and ultimately about what you would sacrifice for the greater good.

'Fast-paced and suspenseful . . . The Sisterhood's greatest gift, however, may be in its message of hope, capable of surmounting even the most formidable of odds and the most uncertain of futures' KATHERINE J. CHEN, author of Joan

'A gut-wrenching, heart-breaking journey through the looking glass of 1984. Compulsively written, Julia’s is a story begging to be told' FREYA BERRY, author of The Dictator's Wife

'A shockingly relevant take on a classic' CLAIRE MCGOWAN, author of This Could Be Us

'A dazzling retelling of the classic dystopian novel, which raises profound questions about how society works, and whether or not woman have political agency. I found it memorable, deeply moving, and at times, terrifying' KATE RHODES, author of the Ben Kitto series

'Katherine Bradley has delivered a worthy counterpart to George Orwell's 1984 in this chilling, taut book. It's as claustrophobic as it needs to be; particularly frightening as one looks around and sees that we are voluntarily moving towards Orwell's nightmare. It is nothing short of a triumph' MARA TIMON, author of City of Spies

‘In this highly original take on Orwell’s 1984– the Big Brother of all dystopian classics – Bradley weaves a complex and engaging plot around the idea of a female resistance to oppressive overlords. Oppressive and creepy, but with real heart’ A. K. TURNER, author of Body Language
Dystopian Friendship Genre Fiction Science Fiction Women's Fiction Fiction

Critic reviews

'Though set in a dystopian world replete with endless horrors, The Sisterhood ultimately tackles a much more universal story, that of a woman on a quest to seek identity and purpose in a society which denies her access to both. Where any passion beyond the all-encompassing authority of Big Brother is forbidden, much love simmers beneath the surface of Katherine Bradley's fast-paced and suspenseful work. The Sisterhood's greatest gift, however, may be in its message of hope, capable of surmounting even the most formidable of odds and the most uncertain of futures'

KATHERINE J. CHEN, author of Joan

'A gut-wrenching, heart-breaking journey through the looking glass of 1984. Compulsively written, Julia’s is a story begging to be told'

FREYA BERRY, author of The Dictator's Wife


'1984’s Julia gets the spotlight in this reimagining of Orwell’s classic, where she presents as a dutiful Outer Party member, but is working with a small band of rebel women. A heart-pounding look into a secondary character’s legacy'

Grazia



'A compelling tale of love and sacrifice, a worthy companion to the original novel'

My Weekly



'Sinister, chilling and heart-breaking, it’s a worthy successor to Orwell’s dystopian classic, allowing readers to explore a new version of Julia’s story'

Culturefly


'A dazzling retelling of the classic dystopian novel, which raises profound questions about how society works, and whether or not woman have political agency. I found it memorable, deeply moving, and at times, terrifying'

KATE RHODES, author of the Ben Kitto series

'Katherine Bradley has delivered a worthy counterpart to George Orwell's 1984 in this chilling, taut book. It's as claustrophobic as it needs to be; particularly frightening as one looks around and sees that we are voluntarily moving towards Orwell's nightmare. It is nothing short of a triumph'

MARA TIMON, author of City of Spies

‘In this highly original take on Orwell’s 1984 – the Big Brother of all dystopian classics – Bradley weaves a complex and engaging plot around the idea of a female resistance to oppressive overlords. Oppressive and creepy, but with real heart’

A. K. TURNER, author of the Cassie Raven series
All stars
Most relevant
The mysterious Julia is reimagined in this enthralling , fast-paced tale of women’s rebellion. I loved re-entering Orwell’s nightmarish world to uncover further possibilities about the workings of Big Brother. The writer brings a fresh understanding of the power of resistance and love against all odds. Cleverly done.

Revisiting Oceania

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I was happy to see there was a new version of this type of book. I really liked the premise of the story. The idea of it.... but I found the total love of big brother unbelievable. Whilst I do understand group mentality and group think.... I found the total lack of complaints, rebels and problems really weird. Maybe there should have been more information as to how big brother came about, how it turned people into these mindless lemmings, and how information was lost from before. There were a few snippets but not enough for me to understand or relate as a reader. The story itself was great. I guessed quite a lot, but there was also a few surprises. Definately worth a credit.

Really good

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I loved the story and narration for this brilliant book so much that I was gardening in the dark for just one more chapter. A terrifying dystopian world and brilliant characters. It'll stay with me for a long time.

Brilliant

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really enjoyed this dystopian novel. I love this genre and this didn't disappoint. really enjoyed the characters and the twists in the storyline.

thoroughly enjoyed

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Although George Orwell came up with the original conception of the futuristic 1984, Katherine Bradley has developed the concept even further. She has the benefit of both the original story and ideas but also has been able to use developing technology to extend the theme of continuous surveillance. And for me the bonus is seeing this done from a feminist perspective too. It’s a while since I read the original ( over 50 years) but I think Bradley has used a number of the details of places, ideas and events from the original to develop her own storyline. It’s made me want to go back and read the original book and compare it to The Sisterhood. I’ve a sneaking suspicion that Bradley’s style of writing is a lot better than Orwell’s.

An amazing spin on 1984

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