Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind
Published on 1. December 2015
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-5039-5043-6 (ISBN)
Description
Named by the Guardian as one of the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2015
History is story telling. But some stories remain untold.
In fifteenth-century Italy, Paolo Uccello recognizes the artistic talent of his young daughter, Antonia, and teaches her how to create a masterpiece. The girl composes a painting of her mother and inadvertently sparks an enduring mystery.
In the present day, a copyist painter receives a commission from a wealthy Chinese businessman to duplicate a Paolo Uccello painting. Together, the painter and his teenage daughter visit China, and in doing so they begin their escape from a tragic family past.
In the twenty-second century, a painting is discovered that's rumored to be the work of Paolo Uccello's daughter. This reawakens an art historian's dream of elevating Antonia Uccello, an artist ignored by history because of her gender.
Stories untold. Secrets uncovered. But maybe some mysteries should remain shrouded.
History is story telling. But some stories remain untold.
In fifteenth-century Italy, Paolo Uccello recognizes the artistic talent of his young daughter, Antonia, and teaches her how to create a masterpiece. The girl composes a painting of her mother and inadvertently sparks an enduring mystery.
In the present day, a copyist painter receives a commission from a wealthy Chinese businessman to duplicate a Paolo Uccello painting. Together, the painter and his teenage daughter visit China, and in doing so they begin their escape from a tragic family past.
In the twenty-second century, a painting is discovered that's rumored to be the work of Paolo Uccello's daughter. This reawakens an art historian's dream of elevating Antonia Uccello, an artist ignored by history because of her gender.
Stories untold. Secrets uncovered. But maybe some mysteries should remain shrouded.
Reviews / Votes
"Anne Charnock's Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind is an expert braiding together of past, present, and future that puts a fifteenth-century Italian female artist centre stage to say penetrating things about womanhood, creativity, and history." -The Guardian"The centuries-spanning story gives the mystery an epic feel." -Kirkus Reviews
"Acclaimed science-fiction author Anne Charnock combines history, art, and sci-fi in this spinning novel that encompasses fifteenth-century Italy, the present-day, and the twenty-second century." -Bustle
"Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind is certainly one of 2015's tip-top releases in science fiction." -Speculiction
"An intriguing look at three women in different time periods." -Library Journal
"This quiet, lovely, and exquisitely crafted novel is itself a masterclass in composition...As in her debut novel, A Calculated Life, the clarity and refined elegance of Charnock's prose is a significant achievement." -Nina Allan, winner of the 2014 BSFA Novella Award for Spin
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Seattle
United States
Publishing group
Amazon Publishing
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
ISBN-13
978-1-5039-5043-6 (9781503950436)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Anne Charnock's debut novel, A Calculated Life, was a finalist for the 2013 Philip K. Dick Award and the 2013 Kitschies Golden Tentacle Award. Her writing career began in journalism, and she has travelled widely as a foreign correspondent. Her articles have appeared in the Guardian, New Scientist, International Herald Tribune, Geographical and the Huffington Post. She studied environmental science at the University of East Anglia, earned a master's in fine art at the Manchester School of Art and has exhibited her work internationally. She lives with her husband, Garry, in London and Chester, England. For more information, visit www.annecharnock.com.