by A. S. Byatt
First published 1996
Frederica Potter's marriage is fracturing. Her husband, Nigel, grows distant and volatile. As their life together crumbles, Frederica seeks solace in writing a novel set in the ruins of an ancient tower. But the lines between fiction and reality blur as the collapse of Babel Tower mirrors the disintegration of Frederica's own relationship. Trapped in an increasingly toxic dynamic, Frederica must navigate the emotional minefield of her marriage and confront the harsh realities of divorce.
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: emotional-journey, unreliable-narrator
Setting: England, London
Period: 20th-century
623 pages · Paperback · Random House