Synopsis
son. They live a peaceful life in the West Country of England. On John's 13th birthday, Joan treats him to a trip to London. Unused to city driving, Joan takes a wrong turn. The repercussions of that decision are devastating, both to her and especially to her son.
This is a story of a motherís heartbreaking love for her son and the different ways people survive seemingly irreparable damage.
With sensitivity and compassion, Jules Hardy's contained but immensely lyrical prose explores the strengths and flaws of this relationship between a brave mother and her wounded son, and vividly describes the altered world in which they must now live.
About the Author:
Jules Hardy was born in Bristol and grew up in and around London. Following graduation, she had a number of jobs, including tutoring, mobile fish-mongering, and freelance publishing work. She is a trained carpenter and now works as a teacher in Bristol. Altered Land is her first novel.
Publishers Weekly
A tragic accident on a boy's 13th birthday forever changes the lives of a mother and son in this haunting debut novel. Joan is a single mother, a beautiful woman and a brilliant academic who never lacks for male attention. Her son, John, knows he is adored; if his father's disappearing act during his mother's pregnancy shadows their past, the two still enjoy a peaceful life in the West Country of England. The accident-which leaves John deaf and his mother facially disfigured-at once strains and strengthens their bond. Employing alternating narratives, Hardy picks up the story 27 years later. John is a successful carpenter in Bristol, married to Sonja, who is a synaesthete-someone whose senses have merged so that she tastes colors and feels sound. Their 20-year relationship is shaken when John decides to undergo risky surgery to obtain cochlear implants; Sonja, meanwhile, may be having an affair. John's mother has become a virtual recluse and alcoholic, attending to her best friend Ellen, who is dying of cancer. From these somber elements Hardy weaves an affecting, emotionally complex story, as damaged mother and son explore the vicissitudes of the past. The well-developed cast of characters struggle through heartbreak and recovery, and learn that there is something to be gained by coping with fear and loss. The author's captivating prose, lushly descriptive but never overly sentimental, heightens the multilayered effect that lingers well after the final page has been turned. Agent, Maggie Phillips. (Oct.) Forecast: If the American reviews are as effusive as the British reviews, Hardy could attract a solid if modest U.S. readership. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.