Life Sentences: A Novel [Paperback]

Laura Lippman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2010

Author Cassandra Fallows believes she may have found the story that could become her next bestseller. When she was a girl growing up in a racially diverse middle-class neighborhood in Baltimore, a shy, quiet, unobtrusive child named Calliope Jenkins orbited Cassandra's circle of friends. Later Calliope would be accused of an unspeakable crime and would spend seven years in prison for refusing to speak about it. But by delving too deeply into Calliope's dark secrets, Cassandra may inadvertently unearth a few of her own—forcing her to reexamine the memories she holds most precious, as the stark light of truth illuminates a mother's pain, a father's betrayal . . . and what really transpired on a terrible day that devastated not only a family but an entire country.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. This stunning stand-alone from bestseller Lippman (Baltimore Blues) examines the extraordinary power and fragility of memories. Writer Cassandra Fallows achieved critical and commercial success with an account of her Baltimore childhood growing up in the 1960s and a follow-up dealing with her adult marriages and affairs. The merely modest success of her debut novel leads her back to nonfiction and the possibility of a book about grade school classmate Calliope Jenkins. Accused of murdering her infant son, Jenkins spent seven years in prison steadfastly declining to answer any questions about the disappearance and presumed death of her son. Fallows (white) tries to reconnect with three former classmate friends (black) to compare memories of Jenkins and research her story. In the process, she discovers the gulf (partially racial) that separates her memories of events from theirs. Fallows's pursuit of Jenkins's story becomes a rich, complex journey from self-deception to self-discovery. 20-city author tour. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Bookmarks Magazine

As in much of her fiction, Life Sentences was inspired by a real-life story -- that of a Baltimore woman who spent seven years in jail for contempt of court for refusing to divulge information about her young son's disappearance. Most critics agreed that Life Sentences, which almost measures up to the career-defining What the Dead Know, is a compelling exploration of ego, friendships, family relationships, memories, racism, self-deception, and betrayals. Reviewers praised Lippman's evocation of Baltimore and her strong character development, if the latter at times overwhelms the plot. Only the Dallas Morning News had serious complaints about the lack of suspense and the attempt to address too many topics (class, race, etc.) in one novel. Otherwise, Life Sentences is another gripping offering from an accomplished author.
Copyright 2009 Bookmarks Publishing LLC --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 1 Reprint edition (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061944882
• ISBN-13: 978-0061944888
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #123,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laura Lippman was a reporter for twenty years, including twelve years at The (Baltimore) Sun. She began writing novels while working fulltime and published seven books about "accidental PI" Tess Monaghan before leaving daily journalism in 2001. Her work has been awarded the Edgar ®, the Anthony, the Agatha, the Shamus, the Nero Wolfe, Gumshoe and Barry awards. She also has been nominated for other prizes in the crime fiction field, including the Hammett and the Macavity. She was the first-ever recipient of the Mayor's Prize for Literary Excellence and the first genre writer recognized as Author of the Year by the Maryland Library Association. Ms. Lippman grew up in Baltimore and attended city schools through ninth grade. After graduating from Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md., Ms. Lippman attended Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her other newspaper jobs included the Waco Tribune-Herald and the San Antonio Light. Ms. Lippman returned to Baltimore in 1989 and has lived there since.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars more introspective fiction than mystery, May 5, 2009

By 

Carrie Dunham-LaGree "nomadreader" (Des Moines, Iowa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life Sentences: A Novel (Hardcover)

This novel featured narration by a variety of characters, but predominantly our protagonist, Cassandra Fallows, narrated. As a reader, I did not feel a connection with her. She's wonderfully articulate, introspective, and thoughtful, but I didn't find her interesting or lovable. I found the so-called mystery to be interesting enough to finish the book, but not interesting enough to make me care what happens to these characters. I expected this novel to be mostly a mystery, but I found it to be mostly about race relations surrounding the shooting of Martin Luther King, Jr. and how his death affected these characters. As a tale of race relations, it was awkward at times. It's not a bad book, but there is something about it that does not quite work. It's certainly better in theory than in practice. The idea of this book is riveting and fascinating, but the execution fell short. Still, I'm eager to read Laura Lippman's other books. She is a good writer, and I look forward to reading an actual mystery.

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a brilliant departure, March 12, 2009

By 

Richard Cumming "dick" (the heartland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life Sentences: A Novel (Hardcover)

This stand-alone mystery might surprise some Lippman fans. It's more about relationships than crime. The main character is a successful memoir writer who returns to her childhood circle in Baltimore to write a third memoir about a former friend who may or may not have killed her own child.

The memoirist doesn't get a warm welcome from the old friends she wrote about in her previous books. This is a detective story in that she is forced to put together the puzzle of what really happened to that child. It is not what you might expect.

There's power, politics, and passion here. Lippman writes with intelligence and a reporter's insight into the mysteries of society's ills.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not powerful enough, May 14, 2009

By 

Mr. August "Literature lover" (Highland Park, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Life Sentences: A Novel (Hardcover)

Lippman's previous books packed more punch. The characters were better defined and their actions made sense. In this novel, Cassandra, met success as a writer of memoirs about her child and adulthood. Cassandra, a white girl, grew up in a racially diverse area of Baltimore and she surrounded herself with black friends who appeared to be dynamic but troubled. It appears she foisted herself on this cast of characters: Tisha, smart, grounded but wary, Donna, rich and elegant who appeared to manipulate lives, Fatima who loved risks as a child but did an about face as adult and Calliope, who was convicted for contempt.

She returns to Baltimore to unravel Calliope's mysterious past and find her own future - a bit corny. It is difficult to determine whether Cassandra has stretched the truth or totally misjudged her black friends, her sacrificial mother and her selfish father who is not what he appears. Cassandra is driven and she is bound and determined to discover the secrets of her old friends and parents.

Lippman's plot became confusing and lacked a resolution. For a smart girl, Cassandra seemed lacking in reality. When the truth surfaced, it was cloudy and ambiguous. I enjoyed Lippman's other books much more.