A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar: A Novel - Softcover

Joinson, Suzanne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1608198332 ISBN 13: 9781608198337

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, 2013

Synopsis

It is 1923. Evangeline (Eva) English and her sister Lizzie are missionaries heading for the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar. Though Lizzie is on fire with her religious calling, Eva's motives are not quite as noble, but with her green bicycle and a commission from a publisher to write A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar, she is ready for adventure.

In present day London, a young woman, Frieda, returns from a long trip abroad to find a man sleeping outside her front door. She gives him a blanket and a pillow, and in the morning finds the bedding neatly folded and an exquisite drawing of a bird with a long feathery tail, some delicate Arabic writing, and a boat made out of a flock of seagulls on her wall. Tayeb, in flight from his Yemeni homeland, befriends Frieda and, when she learns she has inherited the contents of an apartment belonging to a dead woman she has never heard of, they embark on an unexpected journey together.

A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar explores the fault lines that appear when traditions from different parts of an increasingly globalized world crash into one other. Beautifully written, and peopled by a cast of unforgettable characters, the novel interweaves the stories of Frieda and Eva, gradually revealing the links between them and the ways in which they each challenge and negotiate the restrictions of their societies as they make their hard-won way toward home. A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar marks the debut of a wonderfully talented new writer.

About this title

About the Author

Suzanne Joinson works in the literature department of the British Council, specializing in the Middle East, North Africa, and China, and she is the Arts Council-funded writer-in-residence at Shoreham Airport in the UK. Her personal blog can be found online at http://delicatelittlebirds.wordpress.com, and she tweets at @suzyjoinson. Visit her Web site at www.suzannejoinson.com.

Review

Advance Praise for A LADY CYCLIST'S GUIDE TO KASHGAR: "An astonishing epic - colonial-era travel combined with a modern meditation on where we belong and how we connect in the world - I could not put it down.""--"Helen Simonson, bestselling author of "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand""A haunting, original, and beautifully written tale that conveys a sense of profound alienation and of other realities.""--"Paul Torday, bestselling author of "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen""Present and past meld into an exploration of conflicting traditions in an impressive debut.... An intriguing window into the difficulties of those who attempt to reach across cultural barriers."--"Publishers Weekly", boxed review"Beautifully written in language too taut, piercing, and smartly observed to be called lyrical, this atmospheric first novel immediately engages, nicely reminding us that odd twists of fate sometimes aren't that odd. Highly recommended.""--Library Journal", starred review"This complex and involving historical novel examines the idea of home, the consequences of exile, the connection between mother and daughter, and the power dynamics of sexual relationships.""--Booklist"

Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1608198332
• ISBN 13: 9781608198337
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 384