The Gravity of Birds
Published on 15. August 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
400 pages
978-0-00-748839-1 (ISBN)
Description
A haunting debut of love in all its forms, The Gravity of Birds perfectly captures the devastating consequences betrayal can have through the decades, echoing right through to the present day.
Perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Maggie O'Farrell
Sisters Alice and Natalie were once close, but adolescence has wrenched them apart. Alice is a dreamer who loves books and birds; Natalie is headstrong, manipulative - and beautiful.
On their lakeside family holiday, Alice falls under the thrall of a struggling young painter, Thomas Bayber. Natalie, however, seems strangely unmoved, tolerating sittings for a family portrait with surprising indifference. But by the end of the summer, three lives are shattered.
Decades later, Thomas, now a world-renowned artist, reveals the existence of a portrait of himself with Alice and Natalie from that fateful summer. The sisters themselves have disappeared without a trace. And Thomas is torn between taking the secrets of the girls to the grave, or using the painting to resurrect the past before it closes up on them all for good...
Perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Maggie O'Farrell
Sisters Alice and Natalie were once close, but adolescence has wrenched them apart. Alice is a dreamer who loves books and birds; Natalie is headstrong, manipulative - and beautiful.
On their lakeside family holiday, Alice falls under the thrall of a struggling young painter, Thomas Bayber. Natalie, however, seems strangely unmoved, tolerating sittings for a family portrait with surprising indifference. But by the end of the summer, three lives are shattered.
Decades later, Thomas, now a world-renowned artist, reveals the existence of a portrait of himself with Alice and Natalie from that fateful summer. The sisters themselves have disappeared without a trace. And Thomas is torn between taking the secrets of the girls to the grave, or using the painting to resurrect the past before it closes up on them all for good...
Reviews / Votes
'A fabulous debut' Stylist'I really loved it! A deep and compelling page-turning story handled with the lightest of touches. It's gone straight to the place on my bookshelf reserved for my favourite reads'
Louise Douglas, author of The Secrets Between Us
'The Gravity of Birds is a beautifully written book, splattered with painterly language as befits the art world this beguiling story inhabits'
Kathleen MacMahon, author of This is How it Ends
'A beautifully written, compelling story. I absolutely loved it'
Lucy Clarke, author of The Sea Sisters
'One of those rare, exquisitely written novels that haunt you long after you've finished the last page. It is a novel not to be missed'
Alyson Richman, author of The Lost Wife
'Part mystery, part psychological drama and intriguing love story. This is a stunning debut'
Ellen Sussman, author of French Lessons
'A richly textured novel' Oprah
'A riveting debut' Good Housekeeping
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
283 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-748839-1 (9780007488391)
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
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Tracy Guzeman lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. A Pushcart Prize nominee, her fiction has been published in Gulf Coast, Vestal Review and Glimmer Train Stories, and performed as part of the New Short Fiction Series Emerging Voices Group Show. The Gravity of Birds is her first novel.