Faber & Faber

Gillespie and I: Jane Harris

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Synopsis:

As she sits in her Bloomsbury home, with her two birds for company, elderly Harriet Baxter sets out to relate the story of her acquaintance, nearly four decades previously, with Ned Gillespie, a talented artist who never achieved the fame that she maintains he deserved.

It would appear that I am to be the first to write a book on Gillespie. Who, if not me, was dealt that hand?

Back in 1888, the young, art-loving Harriet arrives in Glasgow at the time of the International Exhibition. After a chance encounter, she befriends the Gillespie family and soon becomes a fixture in all of their lives. But when tragedy strikes - leading to a notorious criminal trial - the promise and certainties of this world all too rapidly disintegrate into mystery and deception.

Featuring a memorable cast of characters, infused with atmosphere and period detail, and shot through with wicked humour, Gillespie and I is a powerful and haunting second novel from one of today’s most striking new voices.

 

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Options:

• Audio snippet: Jane Harris on 'Gillespie and I'
• Audio snippet: An Extract from Gillespie and I [1/3]
• Audio snippet: An Extract from Gillespie and I [2/3]
• Audio snippet: An Extract from Gillespie and I [3/3]

Tags:

Categorised as:

Fiction

Sub-categories:

General Fiction

Places:

Glasgow; London

Genres & Themes:

Deception; Family Saga; Mystery; Recollection; Victorian

Awards & Prizes:

Galaxy National Book Awards - Shortlist 2011