Lilian's Story [Import] [Paperback]

Kate Grenville (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd.; Export e. edition (July 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847670253
• ISBN-13: 978-1841959955
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Kate Grenville (kategrenville.com) was born in Sydney, Australia. She's published eight books of fiction, including the multiple prize-winners 'The Secret River', 'The Lieutenant', 'The Idea of Perfection', and 'Lilian's Story'. She's also published three books about the writing process that are classic texts for Creative Writing classes, and a memoir about the research and writing of 'The Secret River'.

Grenville writes about Australia, but her themes are universal: love, violence, and survival. Her characters are often inspired by real historical characters: her own nineteenth century convict ancestor, an early Australian settler; a bag-lady on the streets of 1950s Sydney who quotes Shakespeare for a living; a soldier in the Sydney of 1788 who shares an extraordinary friendship of tenderness and respect with a young Aboriginal girl.

Grenville's international prizes include the Orange Award, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and a shortlisting for the Man Booker Prize. Her books have been published all over the world and translated into many languages, and two have been made into feature films.

Learn more about Kate Grenville, her books, and how to get hold of them, at kategrenville.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars moving, June 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lilian's Story (Harvest Book) (Paperback)

This novel is one of the most emotive I have read. It tells the story of a girl and her struggles to conform to the norms of her dysfunctional family and abusive father. She is an outcast not only within her own family but within the colonial, patriarchal society she lives in. Eventually, she rejects the conformism of her upper-class upbringing and becomes an outspoken street person A fictionalised account of the life and times of the late Bea Miles, well known Sydney eccentric

5.0 out of 5 stars a different look at a bag lady, March 28, 2011

By 

Cloggie Downunder (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lilian's Story (Harvest Book) (Paperback)

Lilian's Story is Kate Grenville's first novel. Lilian Una Singer was born on the first day of 1900 and we follow her life's journey through childhood, maturity and into older age. Grenville weaves a tale around a figure whom all of us have encountered and probably tried to avoid (and whom some of us may even encounter daily), the "bag lady", the mad woman who seems to talk to herself in the street or on the bus/train/tram. She presents a highly plausible history for Lilian which helps explain how an eccentric young woman from a middle-class family becomes a Shakespeare-quoting bag-lady. Along the way, we watch Sydney changing during Federation, two World Wars and a Depression. Lilian tries to make her own decisions in life and ultimately brings a sort of happiness to others by being the type of person they can look at, remark upon and tell their own stories about. Grenville's descriptions are vivid; her characters, compelling and convincing; her dialogue, credible. Perhaps Lilian's Story will make the reader look at the eccentric bag-people in another light. An excellent read.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Survival, October 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lilian's Story (Harvest Book) (Paperback)

Lilian's Story is a book I have had to read for my university english course, and it is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. Lilian is a true survivor when all the odds are against her. I would recommend this to anyone.