When the World Was Steady - Softcover

Messud, Claire

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0964561131 ISBN 13: 9780964561137

Publisher: Granta Books, 1996

Synopsis

In this highly acclaimed novel by the author of The Emperorâ s Children, life isnâ t all Emmy and Virginia Simpson might have hoped. When Emmyâ s marriage to an Australian man ends, she flees her home in Sydney for the tropical paradise of Bali to â find herselfâ â only to become embroiled with an eclectic crew of international misfits and smugglers. Her sister Virginia, meanwhile, has never wandered far outside of London. Prim and pious, Virginia is struggling to find meaning in her life and her aging mother thinks a visit to the Isle of Skye is just what she needs. On these two islands halfway around the world, the middle-aged sisters confront their lives and their destinies with unexpected consequences.

About this title

Review:

In a debut novel of remarkable breadth and intimate insight, Claire Messud tells the story of two middle-aged sisters and the divergent life paths chosen by each. On Bali and Skye, two islands as far apart as geography allows, the sisters reassess their place in the world and gingerly find the new bearings that will allow them to renegotiate the circumstances of their lives with newfound acceptance and flexibility. Nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award.

From the Back Cover:

In the words of Melody Simpson, their mother, Emmy was born with thick skin and Virginia with no skin at all. It is on Bali and Skye, two islands as far apart as geography allows, that the sisters independently reassess their place in the world and gingerly find the new bearings that will allow each to renegotiate the circumstances of their lives with newfound acceptance and flexibility.

About this edition

• Publisher: Granta Books
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0964561131
• ISBN 13: 9780964561137
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 270