An Unremarkable Body: Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2018 - Hardcover

Elisa Lodato

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1474606334 ISBN 13: 9781474606332

Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 2017

Synopsis

***Shortlisted for the Costa Best First Novel Award 2018***

EVERY MOTHER IS A WOMAN WITH A PAST

'A haunting debut about grief, loss and motherhood' The Pool

'An intriguing tale of love, loss and missed opportunities . . . written with verve and delivers an amazing twist' Sunday Mirror

'Tender and moving, this part-thriller, part-memoir will leave you floored' Emerald Street

When Katharine is found dead at the foot of her stairs, it is the mystery of her life that consumes her daughter, Laura.

The medical examiner's report, in which precious parts of Katharine's body are weighed and categorised, motivates Laura to write her own version of events; to bear witness to the unbearable blank space between each itemised entry.

It forces her to confront a new version of the woman she knew only as her mother - a woman silenced by her own mother, and wronged by her husband. A woman who felt shackled by tradition and unable to love freely.

With the heart of a memoir and the pace of a thriller, An Unremarkable Body reveals an overwhelming desire to make sense of an unfulfilled life - and to prove that an unremarkable body does not mean an unremarkable life.

'Beautiful, sensitive, and poignant' Clarissa Goenawan, author of Rainbirds

'Spare, confident and affecting. A compelling read' Joanna Barnard, author of Precocious and Hush Little Baby

'An incredibly moving story of maternal love, sacrifice, and how little we know those closest to us' Chloë Mayer, author of The Boy Made of Snow

About this title

Product Description:

EVERY MOTHER IS A WOMAN WITH A PAST'A haunting debut about grief, loss and motherhood' The Pool'An intriguing tale of love, loss and missed opportunities . . ., written with verve and delivers an amazing twist' Sunday Mirror'Tender and moving, this part-thriller, part-memoir will leave you floored' Emerald Street When Katharine is found dead at the foot of her stairs, it is the mystery of her life that consumes her daughter, Laura.The medical examiner's report, in which precious parts of Katharine's body are weighed and categorised, motivates Laura to write her own version of events; to bear witness to the unbearable blank space between each itemised entry.It forces her to confront a new version of the woman she knew only as her mother - a woman silenced by her own mother, and wronged by her husband. A woman who felt shackled by tradition and unable to love freely.With the heart of a memoir and the pace of a thriller, An Unremarkable Body reveals an overwhelming desire to make sense of an unfulfilled life - and to prove that an unremarkable body does not mean an unremarkable life.'Beautiful, sensitive, and poignant' Clarissa Goenawan, author of Rainbirds'Spare, confident and affecting. A compelling read' Joanna Barnard, author of Precocious and Hush Little Baby'An incredibly moving story of maternal love, sacrifice, and how little we know those closest to us' Chloe Mayer, author of The Boy Made of Snow

Review:

An intriguing tale of love, loss and missed opportunities . . . although infused with sadness, it is written with verve and delivers an amazing twist (Deirdre O'Brien SUNDAY MIRROR)

Tender and moving, this part-thriller, part-memoir will leave you floored (EMERALD STREET)

A haunting debut about grief, loss and motherhood - and a woman's identity beyond that role (THE POOL)

This novel pulls you in and will have you racing to reach the end (GOOD HOUSEKEEPING)

Extraordinarily sensuous storytelling that makes the reader's heart ache in sympathy (OBSERVER)

A sensitive examination of a life frustrated by mores and circumstance (DAILY MAIL)

An elegant, haunting book with a flawed narrator, troubled relationships, and a mystery at the heart . . . Lodato's writing is spare, confident and affecting. A compelling read (Joanna Barnard, author of PRECOCIOUS and HUSH LITTLE BABY)

An incredibly moving story of maternal love, sacrifice, and how little we know about those closest to us. This beautifully-written novel had me gripped until the last page (Chloë Mayer, author of THE BOY MADE OF SNOW)

An Unremarkable Body is infused with sadness but avoids being morbid or cloying. It is written with verve, pace and sensitivity. A fabulous debut that also delivers an amazing twist as a final flourish (THE PEOPLE)

An Unremarkable Body is a well-crafted story of grief and loss. Beautiful, sensitive, and poignant (Clarissa Goenawan, author of RAINBIRDS)

About this edition

• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicholson
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1474606334
• ISBN 13: 9781474606332
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288