ABANDONED. Fiction novel about a cult with an unusually named protagonist, dying patriarch and a brother who had gone into the world

[Maddy]

Okay so I read two fiction books about cults very close together about ten years ago and one of them has stuck in my head.

It was a cult, separate from society in a commune with several (I think) families. There’s one key girl who is the granddaughter of the patriarch who is dying. They’re rewriting their holy text, and there’s discussion over who should take over. The protagonist has to go to tell her brother something is happening and has to go on a boat? Then when she finds him he’s living in a house share and smokes weed.

I THINK her name was Isis, or something else unusual. This is not helping my google because I’m just getting books about ISIS.

I also think it was written by a man.

[Rainbowheart]

Was this adult or teen fiction?

[Maddy]

Adult I think - I read it when I was about 18 so could be either.

[Rainbowheart]

Might want to check the Cults and Communes in Fiction list.

[Jo]

Hi Maddy: not all the details fit but this sounds a bit like Whit by Iain Banks

[Rainbowheart]

Whit for Jo's suggestion.

[Jo]

Thanks Rainbowheart: I couldn’t persuade the site to find the book title. D’oh!

[Kris]

No response, moving to Abandoned folder.

Maddy (OP) was last active on the site in July 2020.