Lydia's Party - Softcover

Hawkins, Margaret

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0143126113 ISBN 13: 9780143126119

Publisher: Penguin Group USA, 2015

Synopsis

An exquisite and profound tale for fans of Anne Tyler and Anna Quindlen

Glowingly reviewed everywhere from O, The Oprah Magazine and Good Housekeepingto sites across the blogosphere, Lydia’s Party sparks a-ha” moments and heartfelt conversations about friendship, regrets, and ambitions. Margaret Hawkins’s earlier books, all published by small presses, have gained her a devoted following, but this gem of a novel will introduce her to the wider audience she deserves.

Lydia is hosting her Bleak Midwinter Bash,” a late Christmas party that has become an annual tradition. Her guestssix friends who bonded twenty years ago over art, dogs, and their budding careers and romancesthink they know everything about one another, but tonight Lydia prepares to shock them with a devastating announcement.

About this title

Review:

Praise for "Lydia's Party "by Margaret Hawkins:
"A tender and clear-eyed look at the tangles in women's lives."
--"Good Housekeeping" (A New Book Pick)
"This book feels like what lifelong friendships really are."
--Minneapolis "Star Tribune"
"With shades of "Mrs. Dalloway, " much of the novel takes place in a day, as Lydia prepares for her annual winter party. . . . Hawkins's novel is beautiful . . . and the plot takes a number of unexpected, hugely enjoyable turns. It is this kind of book: the kind one buys extra copies of to pass out to friends."
--"Kirkus Reviews "(Starred Review)
"Plot is one of the great strengths of the book, beyond the expert characterization of these women. The story takes several entirely unpredictable and yet satisfying turns. . . . [A] lovely life-affirming tale, making this meditation on mortality and friendship a pure delight for readers."
--Bookreporter.com
"Hawkins's smart, crackling novel is a snowy, midwestern "Mrs. Dalloway," with Elizabeth Berg-ish charm and Hawkins's own edgy, artfully particularized humor. . . . As Lydia and her circle pull together in her time of need, Hawkins considers the profound gift of friendship and the ways art and life converge to forge meaning and preserve truth and memories."
--"Booklist "
"Sumptuous . . . a repast that's alternately uncomfortable and soothing, weepy and jubilant, evocative and realistic. Party host and art teacher Lydia is having her annual dinner for her women friends. . . . In a quirky, impossibly magical and sweetly charming twist, Lydia helps guide them all to forgiveness."
--"Publishers Weekly"
"Hawkins's protagonists are well drawn and interesting."
--"Library Journal"
"Like Carol Shields's "Larry's Party," a completely winning book about friendship, an elusive and almost never written about subject, which makes this a rare achievement."
--Diane Johnson, author of "Le Divorce "and "Fly

About the Author:

MARGARET HAWKINS is the author of two previous novels and a memoir. She is a Senior Lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Hawkins lives in Chicago.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Group USA
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0143126113
• ISBN 13: 9780143126119
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 294