The Obituary Writer

by Ann Hood

Overview

A sophisticated and suspenseful novel about the poignant lives of two women living in different eras.

On the day John F. Kennedy is inaugurated, Claire, an uncompromising young wife and mother obsessed with the glamour of Jackie O, struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless marriage or follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. Decades earlier, in 1919, Vivien Lowe, an obituary writer, is searching for her lover who disappeared in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. By telling the stories of the dead, Vivien not only helps others cope with their grief but also begins to understand the devastation of her own terrible loss. The surprising connection between Claire and Vivien will change the life of one of them in unexpected and extraordinary ways. Part literary mystery and part love story, The Obituary Writer examines expectations of marriage and love, the roles of wives and mothers, and the emotions of grief, regret, and hope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393089844
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	02/25/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	355,855
File size:	413 KB

About the Author

Ann Hood is the author of a dozen books of memoir and fiction, including the novels The Stolen Child, The Book That Matters Most, and The Knitting Circle, and editor of the anthologies Knitting Yarns and Knitting Pearls. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and New York.

Editorial Reviews

Pushcart Prize winner Hood (Red Thread) artfully blends two stories that converge in an emotional, poignant ending. Vivien Lowe is an obituary writer in San Francisco obsessed with finding her lover, lost in the 1906 earthquake. She imagines him merely missing or suffering from amnesia because she cannot accept he might be dead; she knows that time does not heal, that grief never goes away. Meanwhile, decades into the future, privileged housewife Claire is bored with her marriage to Peter, a good provider but a demanding perfectionist, and launches an affair that Peter soon discovers. As this is 1961, she must stay in the marriage or risk losing their daughter. Despite a difficult pregnancy, Claire attends the 80th birthday party of her formidable mother-in-law, Birdie. Birdie's illness at the party unites the lives of Vivien and Claire, and their astonishing connection is revealed. VERDICT A well-constructed story leading readers from secrets of the past toward illuminating truths of the present. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 9/10/12.] —Donna Bettencourt, Mesa County Libs., Grand Junction, CO

Library Journal

"Hood’s language is fine and supple, the settings are lusciously rendered, the melancholy air is seductive . . . and her intricate inquiry into grief, guilt and love is haunting."

Booklist

"The Obituary Writer is an engrossing book, drawing you in from page one. I admire this graceful and intimate writer for her literary sleight of hand: you don’t so much read about her characters as you inhabit them. Reading this book, I felt acutely the sadness of loss, the deliciousness of gossip among a group of women friends, the frustration of miscommunication in marriage, the joys of sensuality. Creating such empathy on the part of a reader isn’t easy: Ann Hood just makes it look that way. That’s a gift, and we readers are the lucky recipients."

Elizabeth Berg author of The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted and Tapestry of Fortunes

"In this poignant and incisive novel, Ann Hood brings history back to life in the most intimate way, chronicling the love affairs and heartbreaks of two very different women in two very different times. Moving gracefully and persuasively between post-earthquake San Francisco and the early 1960s, The Obituary Writer makes unexpected connections between these two bygone eras, and in the process, manages to illuminate the present as well as the past."

Tom Perrotta

"It is a rare novelist who can summon the creative nerve to plumb the depths of grief, but that's just what Ann Hood does here with such compassion and grace. The Obituary Writer is an unflinching exploration of loss and the love that somehow remains, one that both wounds and heals. This is a deeply engaging and moving book."

Andre Dubus III

Two women from different times and opposite ends of the country are brought together in Hood's remarkable novel. Vivian—the obituary writer—is in San Francisco during and after the 1906 earthquake. Claire lives in Virginia during the Kennedy campaign and inauguration. Narrator Tavia Gilbert captures each character to perfection: Vivian sounds strong and independent yet vulnerable; Claire, the 1960s wife and mother, sounds confused as she tries to decide whether to leave her verbally abusive husband; Birdie has a quivering voice that suggests her advanced age; and Lottie sounds like the grieving mother she is. Gilbert’s portrayal of Sebastian is especially strong; his gorgeous voice and heavy Italian accent fit his masculine yet compassionate character. Even the most minor character attains distinction through Gilbert's thoughtful narration. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

MAY 2013 - AudioFile