From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of the classic A Thousand Acres and winner of the 1985 O. Henry Award, “Lily”—first published as part of the classic collection of short stories, The Age of Grief—is the dazzling, tragic portrait of a beautiful and lonely young poet who meddles in her longtime friends’ marriage when they come to visit.
Neither Kevin nor Nancy seemed at all interested in Lily’s life in the couple of years since they’ve last seen her. But she has suffered through hours of their squabbling, awkwardly endured complaints from each about the other, and when Kevin finally demands to know if his wife still loves him, Lily must decide whether she wants to end this frustrating intrusion into the calm of her life for good.
An ebook short.
Praise for Jane Smiley and The Age of Grief:
“A glorious achievement. . . . Infinitely satisfying. . . . A triumph.” —The New York Times Book Review
“A fine collection, with a resonating and particularly rewarding novella.” —The San Francisco Chronicle
“Impressive . . . brilliant . . . engrossing. . . . This is a book that will last and last.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Thrilling to read. . . . The prose has about it the effortlessness only effort can produce.” —USA Today
“Thoroughly familiar moments are captured by Ms. Smiley with such immediacy and precision that we are left with a sense of having participated in her characters’ lives.” —The New York Times
JANE SMILEY is the author of numerous novels, including A Thousand Acres, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and the Last Hundred Years Trilogy: Some Luck, Early Warning, and Golden Age. She is the author as well of several works of nonfiction and books for young adults. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, she has also received the PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature. She lives in Northern California.
View titles by Jane Smiley
From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of the classic A Thousand Acres and winner of the 1985 O. Henry Award, “Lily”—first published as part of the classic collection of short stories, The Age of Grief—is the dazzling, tragic portrait of a beautiful and lonely young poet who meddles in her longtime friends’ marriage when they come to visit.
Neither Kevin nor Nancy seemed at all interested in Lily’s life in the couple of years since they’ve last seen her. But she has suffered through hours of their squabbling, awkwardly endured complaints from each about the other, and when Kevin finally demands to know if his wife still loves him, Lily must decide whether she wants to end this frustrating intrusion into the calm of her life for good.
An ebook short.
Reviews
Praise for Jane Smiley and The Age of Grief:
“A glorious achievement. . . . Infinitely satisfying. . . . A triumph.” —The New York Times Book Review
“A fine collection, with a resonating and particularly rewarding novella.” —The San Francisco Chronicle
“Impressive . . . brilliant . . . engrossing. . . . This is a book that will last and last.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Thrilling to read. . . . The prose has about it the effortlessness only effort can produce.” —USA Today
“Thoroughly familiar moments are captured by Ms. Smiley with such immediacy and precision that we are left with a sense of having participated in her characters’ lives.” —The New York Times
JANE SMILEY is the author of numerous novels, including A Thousand Acres, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and the Last Hundred Years Trilogy: Some Luck, Early Warning, and Golden Age. She is the author as well of several works of nonfiction and books for young adults. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, she has also received the PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature. She lives in Northern California.
View titles by Jane Smiley
