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The acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World returns with a stunning coming-of-age novel about girls, mothers, and finding one's way in the world.
Seventeen-year-old Phoebe was never interested in her birth family. But on the cusp of her high school graduation, her adoptive mother, Greta, insists on a visit to meet her biological parents and siblings. The encounter is a jolt, a revelation that derails Phoebe.
With the help of her best friend Luna, Phoebe runs away―as far as their friend Patrick O'Connor's chaotic home, where she hopes to go unnoticed among his thirteen siblings. But when Phoebe asks Patrick to chop off her hip-length hair, she's suddenly transformed. Patrick's older brothers can't help but notice the striking, Peter Pan–like stranger who has suddenly appeared in their midst.
What starts as an adolescent rebellion soon spirals into a whirlwind of self-discovery and unexpected connections. As she grapples with her shifting identity and strained relationships, Phoebe must navigate the tumultuous road out of girlhood and chart a new and unknown course.
"Once again, Hamilton is exceptionally nuanced and enthralling, profound and funny in this gorgeously written modern fairy tale about motherhood, families of blood and choice, art and altruism, self and circumstance." —Booklist (starred review)
"An empathetic chronicle, both tender and comical." —Kirkus Reviews
"Hamilton displays a natural touch in her characterizations, especially Greta's struggle to find the right way to be open with Phoebe about Phoebe's birth family and Luna's competitiveness with boys, which add dimension to the entertaining tale. The author has another winner on her hands." —Publishers Weekly
"The Phoebe Variations is a glorious novel, which is no surprise––it was written by Jane Hamilton. I absolutely loved this exploration of family, friendship, and personal transformation, and was surprised and moved by Phoebe as she makes her way in the world." ―Meg Wolitzer, author of The Female Persuasion
"A new Jane Hamilton novel is always cause for celebration, and with her luminous The Phoebe Variations, it's time to shout and sing once more. Get ready to fall in love with the brilliant, mixed-up, loyal, and lovely Phoebe!" ―Ann Hood, author of The Stolen Child
"Gorgeous writing―wry and deep all at once. And full of the soft, relatable turns of phrase that make me swoon over a Hamiltonian sentence...A-pluses for poetic prose, for wit, for originality, for piano fervor. I loved visiting the crazy-wonderful house, over-populated with irresistible sons who shape Phoebe's life forever." ―Elinor Lipman, author of Every Tom, Dick and Harry
This information about The Phoebe Variations was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
janehamiltonbooks.com
Jane Hamilton's novels have won literary prizes, been made into films, have been international best-sellers, and two of them, The Book of Ruth, and A Map of the World, were selections of Oprah's Book Club. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, and various magazines and anthologies. Through the years she's taught at Carleton College and in the Warren Wilson MFA program, and given numerous workshops. She lives in Wisconsin on an apple orchard with her family.
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