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CATHY MOORE , DI RECTOR OF CAMBRIDGE L I TERARY FEST IVAL , ON A PERFECT MOTHER This is a highly accomplished first novel, with a compelling story that explores relationships, love, parenting, violence and legacy, all set against the uncertainty of whether a crime has been committed. It beautifully evokes Trieste, with all its cultural and political complexities, as well as the sense that everything is at a crossroads – much like the history of Trieste itself. The novel is narrated by Jacob, who visits Trieste to research his long-lost great-grandfather. There, he meets Charlotte and Jane and begins a relationship with one and forms a friendship with the other. For me, the joy of A Perfect Mother is as much to be found in the haunting plot and sense of place as it is about the precise, mature and clear-eyed prose style that would suggest a writer at the peak of their career and not, as is the case, a debut novelist.
COMING SOON! CAMBRIDGE LITERARY FESTIVAL
A highlight of the local calendar for book lovers, Cambridge Literary Festival returns for its spring outing from 5-7 April. As ever, the line-up offers diversity of speakers – from the hottest novelists to political commentators, activists, thinkers, entertainers and children’s authors. Names already confirmed include Labour Party MP Hilary Benn, The Times columnist and former speech writer for Tony Blair, Phil Collins, and a brilliant array of fiction writers that includes John Lanchester, Ali Smith, Madeline Miller and Simon Mayo. Not to mention a constellation of scientists, such as the Astronomer Royal, Sir Martin Rees, Adam Rutherford and Giles Yeo. Booking opens on 5 February. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
UP NEXT MONTH CIRCE BY MADELINE MILLER Escape to an ancient land of gods, heroes, magic and monsters with next month’s book club pick: Circe by Madeline Miller. The latest offering from the award-winning author of The Song of Achilles is a powerful story about the goddess Circe. The novel takes readers to the house of Helios, god of the sun, where a daughter is born – but Circe has neither the look nor the voice of divinity and is scorned and rejected by her kin. Isolated, she turns to mortals for companionship, leading her to discover a power forbidden to the gods: witchcraft. When love drives Circe to cast a dark spell, Zeus banishes her to the remote island of Aiaia, where she learns to harness her occult craft. There is danger for a solitary woman in this world and Circe’s independence draws the wrath of men and gods alike. To protect what she holds dear, Circe must decide whether she belongs with the deities she was born from, or the mortals she has come to love...
CIRCE CAN BE PURCHASED FOR £16.99 IN HARDBACK. READ ALONG AND TWEET US YOUR THOUGHTS @CAMBSEDITION, WITH THE HASHTAG #EDITIONBOOKCLUB FOR A CHANCE TO FEATURE IN THE NEXT ISSUE.
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