The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories
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Summary
'Lively remains a sublime storyteller' Guardian on How It All Began
'More stylish than many writers half her age . . . Lively knows a thing of two about storytelling.' The Times on How It All Began
A dream house that is hiding something sinister; two women having lunch who share a husband; an old woman doing her weekly supermarket shop with a secret past that no one could guess; a couple who don't know each other at all even after fifteen years together; and, in the story from which this collection takes its name, a bird and a servant girl in ancient Pompeii who cannot converse, but share a perfect understanding.
In this new and varied collection of short stories, Penelope Lively shows that she remains a master of her craft, and one of our finest English writers.
'More stylish than many writers half her age . . . Lively knows a thing of two about storytelling.' The Times on How It All Began
A dream house that is hiding something sinister; two women having lunch who share a husband; an old woman doing her weekly supermarket shop with a secret past that no one could guess; a couple who don't know each other at all even after fifteen years together; and, in the story from which this collection takes its name, a bird and a servant girl in ancient Pompeii who cannot converse, but share a perfect understanding.
In this new and varied collection of short stories, Penelope Lively shows that she remains a master of her craft, and one of our finest English writers.
Reviews
Carefully thought-out stories. . . Patterns of interaction between past and present are sounded out to good effect.
Sunday Times
