The Three Incestuous Sisters, 1985 — 1998

For the trade edition of The Three Incestuous Sisters, published by Abrams Books, click here or

Ophile, Clothilde and Bettine are sisters who live together in a large house by the sea. One night their neighbor, the Lighthouse Keeper, is killed by lightning during a terrible storm. His son, Paris, returns to take his father’s place at the lighthouse. Ophile and Bettine fall in love with Paris, and he returns Bettine’s affections. Terrible rivalries ensue. A peculiar baby is born. Havoc and revenge result. Eventually some people die and others are reconciled.

I always used to describe this book as a silent film melodrama told in Japanese prints. The original edition was printed on Sakamoto paper (the aquatints) and paper made by Andrea Peterson (the textblock). It was bound in calfskin in an edition of ten.

The Three Incestuous Sisters was released in a trade edition in 2005 by Harry N. Abrams.