The Flight of Gemma Hardy - Softcover

Livesey, Margot

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062107208 ISBN 13: 9780062107206

Publisher: Harperluxe, 2013

Synopsis

The resonant story of a young woman's struggle to take charge of her own future, The Flight of Gemma Hardy is a modern take on a classic story--Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre--that will fascinate readers of the Gothic original and fans of modern literary fiction alike, with its lyrical prose, robust characters, and abundant compassion. Set in early 1960s Scotland, this breakout novel from award-winning author Margot Livesey is a tale of determination and spirit that, like The Three Weissmanns of Westport and A Thousand Acres, spins an unforgettable new story from threads of our shared, still-living literary past. "Gemma is real--it's as simple as that. And through her eyes we see step by step what it means . . . to take possession of one's own life." --David Wroblewski, author of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

About this title

Review:

"The fabulous Margot Livesey has written a book steeped in remote landscapes, secret histories, and great love. Orphan Gemma is a modern day Jane Eyre, thoroughly engaging and bracingly unsentimental. The prose is meticulous, the tale transporting. Trust me, you will love this book."--Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club and Wit's End

""The Flight of Gemma Hardy" is an inventive re-imagining of Jane Eyre; the feisty Gemma is a delightful character in her own right, and it was a pleasure to follow her adventures."--Audrey Niffenegger, author of "The Time Traveller's Wife" and "Her Fearful Symmetry"

"In "The Flight of Gemma Hardy", Margot Livesey offers a new telling of "Jane Eyre", for which no contemporary writer is better suited. As always, Livesey's prose is a garden of pleasures: precision here, lyricism there, wit and compassionate insight throughout."--Amy Bloom, author of "Away" and "Where the God of Love Hangs Out"

"Enchanting, from the first page to the last. Reading The Flight of Gemma Hardy reminded me of that way we fall into certain novels when we're younger, with utter absorption and concentration, the outside world disappearing entirely as the spell of a fictional world takes hold."--Andrea Barrett, author of Ship Fever and Servants of the Map

"[An] original slant on a classic story.... Within the classic framework, Livesey molds a thoroughly modern character who learns to expect the best of herself and to forgive the missteps of others. The author has a gift for creating atmosphere."--Library Journal

"Poignantly narrated.... Nicely, touchingly done, and the familiar story exerts its reliably magnetic pull."--Kirkus Reviews

"The talented Livesey updates Jane Eyre...taking care to home in on the elements of this classic story that so resonate with readers.... Despite readers' familiarity with the story line, they will be held rapt.... A sure bet for both book clubs and Bronte fans."--Booklist

"[A] cunning adaptation..."--Liza Nelson, O, the Oprah Magazine

"Appealing...Livesey is drawn to literary gambles, and there's no question that modeling her new book on a classic is a risky move....It's a delight to follow the careful dovetailing of the two novels....Livesey is a lovely, fluid writer."--Sarah Towers, New York Times Book Review

"[A] brilliantly paced contemporary adventure..."--Elle

About the Author:

MARGOT LIVESEY is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels The Flight of Gemma Hardy, The House on Fortune Street, Banishing Verona, Eva Moves the Furniture, The Missing World, Criminals, and Homework. Her work has appeared in the New Yorker, Vogue, and the Atlantic, and she is the recipient of grants from both the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. The House on Fortune Street won the 2009 L. L. Winship/PEN New England Award. Born in Scotland, Livesey currently lives in the Boston area and is a professor of fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harperluxe
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0062107208
• ISBN 13: 9780062107206
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 640