Covering a span of twenty five years, Mrs Kimble tells the story of three women married in succession to the same man – a charismatic opportunist named Ken Kimble. Told from the perspective of each Mrs Kimble, it offers a mesmerising look at how three very different women become accomplices in their own deception. We see Ken Kimble through the eyes of the women he seduces: his first wife, Birdie, who struggles to hold herself together in the months following his desertion; his second wife, Joan, a lonely heiress recovering from personal tragedy, who sees in Kimble her last chance at happiness; and finally Dinah, a beautiful but damaged woman half his age. Woven throughout is the story of Kimble’s son Charlie, whose life is forever affected by a father he barely remembers. Ken Kimble is able to become, for a while at least, all things to all women. To each of the three Mrs Kimbles, he appears as a hero, to whom powerful needs and nameless longings may be attached. Only later do they glimpse the truth about this elusive, unknowable man. Each Mrs Kimble is of a different generation, with different expectations of men and of themselves – yet each is able to convince herself that Ken Kimble is what is missing from her life, and pledge herself to a man she barely knows. Mrs Kimble is a meditation on marriage and the illusions upon which it is based. Beautifully written, stunningly original, this emotionally compelling novel of marriage and illusion marks the debut of an astonishing new literary voice.
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Covering a span of twenty five years, Mrs Kimble tells the story of three women married in succession to the same man – a charismatic opportunist named Ken Kimble. Told from the perspective of each Mrs Kimble, it offers a mesmerising look at how three very different women become accomplices in their own deception.
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'Beautiful, devastating and complex.' Chicago Tribune Over a span of twenty five years, three women marry the same man - a charismatic opportunist named Ken Kimble. Each Mrs Kimble offers a mesmerising look at how three very different women became accomplices in their own deception. The first, Birdie, is left in deprived conditions and struggles to hold herself and their children together in the months following Kimble's desertion; the second, Joan, a lonely heiress recovering from personal tragedy, sees in Ken Kimble her last chance at happiness and defies her family and friends to marry him; and the third, Dinah, a beautiful but damaged woman half his age, tries to find the strength to survive him. Beautifully written, stunningly original, this emotionally compelling novel is a meditation on women, marriage and the illusions upon which it is based. 'A sharply observed, affecting tale of the power of a charismatic predator and the acquiescence of his victims…Ken Kimble is a chilling creation.' Boston Globe 'Luminous…a beautiful novel with memorable, vibrant characters.' Booklist 'A clever, admirable novel…The three Mrs Kimbles present the whole gamut of family values gone awry.' Washington Post
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‘A luminous debut novel…with memorable, vibrant characters, that will have wide appeal.’ Booklist ‘The measured prose and care for detail show a promising talent.’ Kirkus Reviews ‘This moving novel explores questions of love and loss – the first, second and third time around.’ Glamour ‘Each Mrs Kimble comes tantalizingly alive thanks to the author’s considerable gift for conjuring up a character with the tiniest of details.’ Washington Post
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• A major new acquisition, Jennifer Haigh is being published by HarperCollins in the UK, the US, Australia and New Zealand • First print run of 125,000 hardbacks in the US • Backed by a marketing campaign, Mrs Kimble will be strongly supported in 2004 • Early reading copies available • Will appeal to fans of Anne Tyler and Anita Shreve • Ideal for reading groups, raises questions about marriage, divorce, how women are socialized, family and motherhood
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780007150861
Publisert
2004-05-17
Utgiver
Vendor
HarperCollins
Vekt
267 gr
Høyde
198 mm
Bredde
129 mm
Dybde
24 mm
Aldersnivå
00, G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
400

Forfatter

Biographical note

Jennifer Haigh’s short stories have been published in Good Housekeeping and numerous literary reviews. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Mrs Kimble is her first novel.