"[Chidgey] has written an elegant, connect-the-dots novel, in which each step the characters make toward one another proves emotionally treacherous."--The New Yorker When Colette receives a letter from The Friends of Patrick Mercer about a man lying unconscious in a hospital on the other side of the world, she has no idea who the man might be. Why is she being written to? Patrick Mercer lies hospitalized in England, attempting to reconstruct his life through memory, dreams, and the inspiration of his treasured illuminated manuscripts. And half a world away, Colette is adjusting to new classes, a new apartment, a new job, all while the mysterious "Patrick" letters that keep arriving.

The Strength of the Sun: A Novel

Literature & Fiction

CHIDGEY, Catherine

Literary

Picador

Tampa, Florida, 1898: A hazy frontier where the Old World meets the New, where miracles of transformation are possible and the soil is so fertile that dry sticks take root and flower. Dominating the town is the magisterial new Tampa Bay Hotel and dominating the hotel is an exotic creature by the name of Monsieur Lucien Goulet III, wig maker to the wealthy and glamorous. As winter nears its end, Goulet is entranced by a head of hair belonging to the young widow Marion Unger. But this material, without which he absolutely cannot form his greatest masterpiece, is hard to come by, as it is still attached to its owner.

The Transformation: A Novel

Genre Fiction

In a Fishbone Church

When Clifford Stilton dies, his son gene crams his carefully kept diaries into a hall cupboard. But Clifford's words have too much life in them to be ignored, and start to permeate his family's world. "In a Fishbone Church" tells the story of three generations of the Stilton family, woven together with brilliance and subtlety, spanning continents and decades. From the Berlin rave scene to the Canterbury duck season, from the rural 1950's to the cosmopolitan present, five vivid lives cohere in a deeply affecting and exhilirating novel. "Catherine Chidgey is a wonderful new talent, and "In a Fisbone Church" marks the beginning of what promises to be a glorious literary career". - Nick Hornby. "Warm, wit, descriptive delicacy and understated emotional intensity ...as subtle as a breath". - "Time Out".

Contemporary

When Clifford Stilton dies, his son gene crams his carefully kept diaries into a hall cupboard. But Clifford`s words have too much life in them to be ignored, and start to permeate his family`s world. In a Fishbone Church tells the story of three generations of the Stilton family, woven together with brilliance and subtlety, spanning continents and decades. From the Berlin rave scene to the Canterbury duck season, from the rural 1950`s to the cosmopolitan present, five vivid lives cohere in a deeply affecting and exhilirating novel.
`Catherine Chidgey is a wonderful new talent, and In a Fisbone Church marks the beginning of what promises to be a glorious literary career` Nick Hornby
`Warm, wit, descriptive delicacy and understated emotional intensity... as subtle as a breath` Time Out

Golden Deeds

Golden Deeds tells the story of the middle-aged Patrick Mercer, lying unconscious in a hospital bed; of the teenaged Laura Pearses disappearance and the grieving of her bereft parents; and the story of Colette, a young woman seeking a new life in a strange city. Chidgey delineates the connections which bind people together across continents and generations.

Collette, a 21 year old New Zealander, receives a letter from England telling her "Patrick is still in a serious condition in St Luke's Hospital". Only Collette has no idea who Patrick is. Medieval manuscripts and 1950s Meccano magazines help to reveal the connection between the two.

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Mystery

PAN BOOKS LTD (ENGLAND)

The Transformation

Knopf Canada

From the writer described as “the most fabulous New Zealand writer alive” (Listener NZ) comes a masterful novel, with the power of Patrick Suskind’s Perfume.Tampa Bay, Florida, in 1898 is a frontier, where the progress of the modern world has not yet won the battle against the voodoo magic of the swamps, but where miracles of transformation are still possible. Dominating the town is the new Tampa Bay Hotel, with its tangle of Moorish minarets, Byzantine domes and new electric lighting, designed by Edison himself — a fairytale castle that is a winter magnet for the best sort of people — bankers and industrialists, stock brokers and shipping merchants, attorneys and architects and celebrities — who come from the northern cities and Europe.But the hotel does have one permanent year-round resident: Monsieur Lucien Goulet III is the exotic wigmaker to the rich and glamorous, and indeed to any resident of Tampa whose desire for the transformations he creates is keen enough to meet his price. Goulet himself is entranced by the head of hair belonging to the young widow Marion Unger. And as the raw material he needs to complete his great masterpiece becomes harder to come by, so he drives his gifted night-scavenger — a teenage Cuban cigar-maker — to increasingly extreme efforts.As this unlikely cast of characters becomes entwined, the secret depths of Goulet’s nature rise to the surface, leading to an electrifying conclusion.From the Hardcover edition.

World Literature

Vintage Canada

A mysterious letter-writing campaign bears unexpected consequences in this gifted young writer's intimate exploration of loss and discovery Every contact leaves a trace. But when Colette receives a letter from The Friends of Patrick Mercer about a man lying unconscious in a hospital on the other side of the world, she has no idea who the man might be. Why is she being written to? Hospitalized in England after a car accident, medievalist Patrick Mercer reconstructs his life through memory, dreams, and the inspiration of his treasured illuminated manuscripts. Half a world away, Colette is adjusting to new classes, a new apartment, a new job-and the mysterious "Patrick" letters that keep arriving. Meanwhile, Ruth and Malcolm-whose young son is Colette's charge-are desperately seeking to pick up the pieces of their lives after the terrifying disappearance of their teenage daughter. The Strength of the Sun is a novel about the human desire to make connections, to pick through our lives in search of what can be found among the daily losses. Compassionate, beautifully written, and compelling to the final page, The Strength of the Sun introduces a talented new writer to American readers.

Henry Holt and Co.

The lives of a French wig maker, a young American widow, and a Cuban cigar maker intersect to startling effect in this masterful, atmospheric novel Tampa, Florida, 1898: a hazy frontier where the Old World meets the New, where miracles of transformation are possible and the soil is so fertile that dry sticks take root and flower. Dominating the town is the new Tampa Bay Hotel, a fairy-tale castle that in the wintertime is a magnet for the finest sorts of people. During the off-season, the city is quiet, but a few residents remain. Among these is a most exotic creature by the name of Monsieur Lucien Goulet III, wig maker to the wealthy and glamorous-indeed to any resident of Tampa whose desire for his transformations is keen enough to meet his price. As winter nears its end, Goulet is entranced by a head of hair belonging to the young widow Marion Unger. But this material, without which he absolutely cannot form his greatest masterpiece, is hard to come by, being still attached to its owner. Determined to go forward with the project, Goulet drives his gifted night scavenger-a teenage cigar maker who is a refugee from the war in Cuba-to increasingly extreme efforts. As the lives of these three unlikely accomplices become ever more entwined, Goulet's true nature becomes disturbingly clear, leading to an electrifying conclusion.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by CHIDGEY, Catherine. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by CHIDGEY, Catherine

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by CHIDGEY, Catherine. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Strength of the Sun: A Novel

The Transformation: A Novel

In a Fishbone Church

In a Fishbone Church

Golden Deeds

Golden Deeds

The Transformation

The Transformation

The Strength of the Sun: A Novel

The Transformation: A Novel