Ann Patchett's works have long had the attention of the Orange Prize juries. The Magician's Assistant was shortlisted for the 1998 Orange Prize, and Bel Canto won in 2002; it wasn't surprising to see State of Wonder make the jury's shortlist in 2012. The most striking element of the novel is its
If only the word 'waltz' appeared like a stain on the sheets -- this would be the perfect cover image. For now, Gina Moynihan stands back and looks at the bed that she and Seán Vallely shared, and it's a messy sight. Messy, but still fresh: you can see the indents
No need to wonder whether you fit in this novel: Harriet Baxter is speaking directly to you, Reader. Even before the novel has properly begun, she is saying "Reader, if you wonder -- as I suspect you may..." Even though you weren't wondering yet. And, on the next page, she
It's 1952, in the hottest summer that Paris has had since before the war. Shortlisted for the Orange Prize 2012 Beatrice writes to her brother, Marvin, saying "Paris was terrible", and she has little else to report. She has travelled there, at Marvin's request, to look for Marvin's
Of course there are readers who gravitate towards fiction set in ancient times, with their battered Mary Renault and Robert Graves paperbacks, their beloved Rosemary Sutcliffe childhood favourites still lining their shelves. Harper Collins, 2012 But just as there were many readers who would never pick up a western but
