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Learning to talk : stories / Hilary Mantel.

Summary:
"In the wake of Hilary Mantel's brilliant conclusion to her award-winning Wolf Hall trilogy, this collection of loosely autobiographical stories locates the transforming moments of a haunted childhood. Sharp and funny, these drawn-from-life stories begin in the 1950s in an insular northern village "scoured by bitter winds and rough gossip tongues." For the child narrator, the only way to survive is to get up, get on, get out. In "King Billy Is a Gentleman," the child must come to terms with the loss of a father and the puzzle of a fading Irish heritage. "Curved Is the Line of Beauty" is a story of friendship, faith, and a near-disaster in a scrap-yard. The title story sees our narrator ironing out her northern vowels with the help of an ex-actress with one lung and a Manchester accent. In "Third Floor Rising," she watches, amazed, as her mother carves out a stylish new identity. With a deceptively light touch, Mantel illuminates the poignant experiences of childhood that leave each of us forever changed"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781250865366
  • ISBN: 1250865360
  • Physical Description: xiii, 157 pages ; 22 cm
  • Edition: First U.S. edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Henry Holt and Company, 2022.

Content descriptions

Formatted Contents Note:
King Billy is a gentleman -- Destroyed -- Curved is the line of beauty -- Learning to talk -- Third floor rising -- The clean slate -- Giving up the ghost.
Subject: Children > Fiction.
Parent and child > Fiction.
Genre: Short stories.
Autobiographical fiction.

Available copies

  • 23 of 24 copies available at SPARK Libraries.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 24 total copies.
Show All Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Abington Community Library FICTION MANTEL (Text) 50687011784553 Adult Fiction Available -
Annie Halenbake Ross Library F Man (Text)
Memorial: In remembrance of Dorothy Nestlerode by Charles and Bonnie Rosamilia
00155158 ADULT Fiction Available -
Dillsburg Area Public Library Adults MAN Fiction (Text) 34001001417979 Adult Area Available -
DuBois Public Library FIC MANTEL (Text) 61000100083423 Adult Fiction Available -
Emmaus Public Library FIC MANTEL, HILARY (Text) 36446002066721 Adult Fiction Available -
Exeter Community Library MAN (Text) 33249025338595 Fiction Available -
Fleetwood Area Public Library FC MAN BCPL FLOATING COLLECTION (Text) 33249025261409 Fiction Available -
Highland Community Library F MAN (Text) 35610000996012 HGHM Fiction Available -
Indian Valley Public Library Fiction Mantel (Text) 39427103661559 Fiction Room: Adult Fiction Available -
Lower Macungie Library FIC MAN (Text) 33400001561540 Adult Fiction Available -


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