内容简介
TheBookerPrize—winningauthor'ssweepingsagaofthreegenerationsofwomen“Oneofthemostaccomplishedwritersoffictionofourday”(TheWashingtonPost)followsthelivesandlovesofthreewomen—Lorna,Molly,andRuth—fromWorldWarII—eraLondontothecloseofthecentury.ToldinLively'sincomparableprose,thisisapowerfulstoryofgrowth,death,andrenewal,aswellasapenetratinglookathowthemajorandminoreventsofthetwentiethcenturychangedlives.Bychroniclingthechoicesandconsequencesthatcompriseonefamily'shistory,Livelyoffersanintimateandprofoundreaffirmationoftheforceofconnectionbetweengenerations.
作者简介
PenelopeLivelyBelovedmemoirist(AHouseUnlocked),children'sbookauthor(TheGhostofThomasKempe),andBookerPrizewinnerPenelopeLivelyisperhapsbestknownforsmart,literatethrillersthatlooktothepastforkeystounderstanding,like2003'sThePhotograph."I'mnotanhistorian,"LivelytoldBritain'sTheObserver,"butIcangetinterested--obsessivelyinterested--withanyaspectofthepast."GoodToKnowInherinterviewwithBarnes&Noble.com,Livelysharedsomefunfactsaboutherself:"Icamelatetowriting--Iwasinmylate30sbeforeIwroteanything.Theyearsbeforethathadbeenbusywithsmallchildren,andIseemtohavefallenintowritingalmostbyaccident.Sincethen,Ihaveneverstopped--booksforchildrentobeginwith,thenaperiodwritingforbothadultsandchildren--shortstoriesalso--thenforadultsonlywhenthechildren'sbooks,sadly,leftme.""Ithasbeenabusy30years,butbecausewritingisasolitaryactivityandIlikethecompanyofothers,Ihavealsoalwayshadotherinvolvements--withwriters'organizationssuchasBritain'sSocietyofAuthors,withPEN,withtheRoyalSocietyofLiterature,and,forsixyears,asamemberoftheBoardoftheBritishLibrary(theoppositenumberoftheLibraryofCongress)whichIregardedasagreatprivilege--whatcouldbemoreimportantthanthenationalarchive?""Ihavealwaysbeenanaviduseroflibraries;likeanywriter,muchofmyinspirationcomesfromlifeasitislived--whatyouseeandhearandexperience,butmynovelshavesprungfromsomeabidinginterest--theoperationofmemory,theeffectsofchoiceandcontingency,theconflictingnatureofevidence--andtheseconcernsarefueledbyreading:serendipitousandeclecticreading.""Iamfirstandforemostareadermyself.Idon'tthinkIcouldwriteifIwasn'tconstantlyreading.Ibothwindandunwindbyreading--stimulusandrelaxationboth.Iusedtolovetrampingthelandscape,andgardening,butarthritisrulesoutbothofthose,soIdobothvicariouslythroughbooks.Iliveinthecitynow,butfeeloutofplace--Ihavealwaysbeforelivedmostofthetimeinthecountry:Imisswideskies,weather,seasons.""Nevermind,therearecompensations,andLondonisaverydifferentplacefromthepinchedandbomb-shatteredplacetowhichIcameasaschoolgirlin1945--nowitismulticultural,polyglot,vibrant,unpredictable,inastateofconstantchangebutwiththatbedrockofpermanencethatanoldplacealwayshas.Iliketoescapefromtimetotime--mainlytoWestSomerset,wherewehaveafamilycottageandIcanadmiremydaughter'sgarden--shehasthegardeninggeneinabigwayandisfarmoreskilledthanIeverwas--bird-watch,walkabit,talktopeopleI'veknownfordecades,andseethenightskycracklingwiththestarsthatthecityblotsout."
