First published 2000
A novelist confronts the complicated legacy of a once-celebrated writer. When Edward Driffield dies, a young literary man decides to write his biography, uncovering the complicated story behind the celebrated author's public persona. At the center of this investigation sits Rosie, Driffield's first wife—a woman whose scandalous past both defined and threatened his reputation. As the narrator digs deeper, he must navigate the treacherous social boundaries of literary London, where reputation is currency and truth is malleable. Each revelation threatens to unravel carefully constructed narratives of success, marriage, and artistic achievement.
Genres: literary-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, biographical-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: literary-investigation, unreliable-narrator
Setting: London
Period: 20th-century
308 pages · Paperback · Vintage