Most Popular Books by Sarah Waters

“Oliver Twist with a twist…Waters spins an absorbing tale that withholds as much as it discloses. A pulsating story.”—The New York Times Book Review The Handmaiden, a film adaptation of Fingersmith, directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Kim Tae-Ri, is now available. Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a "baby farmer," who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home. One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum. With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways...But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.

“[A] wonderful novel…Waters is almost Dickensian in her wealth of description and depth of character.”—Chicago Tribune Moving back through the 1940s, through air raids, blacked-out streets, illicit partying, and sexual adventure, to end with its beginning in 1941, The Night Watch tells the story of four Londoners—three women and a young man with a past—whose lives, and those of their friends and lovers, connect in tragedy, stunning surprise and exquisite turns, only to change irreversibly in the shadow of a grand historical event.

“Gothic tale, psychological study, puzzle narrative…This is gripping, astute fiction that feeds the mind and senses.”—The Seattle Times An upper-class woman recovering from a suicide attempt, Margaret Prior has begun visiting the women’s ward of Millbank prison, Victorian London’s grimmest jail, as part of her rehabilitative charity work. Amongst Millbank’s murderers and common thieves, Margaret finds herself increasingly fascinated by on apparently innocent inmate, the enigmatic spiritualist Selina Dawes. Selina was imprisoned after a séance she was conducting went horribly awry, leaving an elderly matron dead and a young woman deeply disturbed. Although initially skeptical of Selina’s gifts, Margaret is soon drawn into a twilight world of ghosts and shadows, unruly spirits and unseemly passions, until she is at last driven to concoct a desperate plot to secure Selina’s freedom, and her own. As in her noteworthy deput, Tipping the Velvet, Sarah Waters brilliantly evokes the sights and smells of a moody and beguiling nineteenth-century London, and proves herself yet again a storyteller, in the words of the New York Times Book Review, of "startling power."

The New York Times bestselling novel that has been called “a tour de force” (Wall Street Journal), “unputdownable” (The Washington Post), “a delicious hothouse of a novel” (USA Today), “effortless” (The Economist), “seductive” (Vanity Fair) and “pitch perfect” (Salon) “Superb, bewitching…Forget about Fifty Shades of Grey; this novel is one of the most sensual you will ever read, and all without sacrificing either good taste or a "G" rating” – NPR “One of the year’s most engrossing and suspenseful novels…a love affair, a shocking murder, and a flawless ending … Will keep you sleepless for three nights straight and leave you grasping for another book that can sustain that high.” — Entertainment Weekly (A rating) “Volcanically sexy, sizzingly smart, plenty bloody and just plain irresistible." —USA Today (4 stars) It is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned; the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. And in South London, in a genteel Camberwell villa—a large, silent house now bereft of brothers, husband, and even servants—life is about to be transformed as impoverished widow Mrs. Wray and her spinster daughter, Frances, are obliged to take in lodgers. With the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the “clerk class,” the routines of the house will be shaken up in unexpected ways. Little do the Wrays know just how profoundly their new tenants will alter the course of Frances’s life—or, as passions mount and frustration gathers, how far-reaching, and how devastating, the disturbances will be. Short-listed for the Man Booker Prize three times, Sarah Waters has earned a reputation as one of our greatest writers of historical fiction, and here she has delivered again. A love story, a tension-filled crime story, and a beautifully atmospheric portrait of a fascinating time and place, The Paying Guests is Sarah Waters’s finest achievement yet.

Nan is captivated by the music hall phenomenon that is Kitty Butler, a male impersonator extraordinaire treading the boards in Canterbury. Through a friend at the box office, Nan manages to visit all her shows and finally meet her heroine. Soon after, she becomes Kitty''s dresser and the two head for the bright lights of Leicester Square where they start an all-singing and dancing double act. At the same time, behind closed doors, they admit their attraction to each other and their affair begins.

After being summoned to treat a patient at dilapidated Hundreds Hall, Dr. Faraday finds himself becoming entangled in the lives of the owners, the Ayres family, and the supernatural presences in the house.

The rise of neo-liberal globalisation has posed major challenges for all European countries, identifying itself as the key political tension of the coming era. Yet, it is in France that globalisation has produced the deepest tensions, and it is here that it has generated its greatest political resistance. The author pursues two separate lines of enquiry. First, she considers the influence of French political tradition and an enduring legacy of republicanism in shaping contemporary opposition. If globalisation poses a greater ideological threat in France than elsewhere, this is because it comes into conflict with the foundational values and symbols of the FrenchRepublic. Secondly, she examines contemporary French opposition as a site for political and ideological renewal. Many critics now agree that it is within this emergent movement, rather than within traditional parties, that new forms of political practice and ideology are being invented.

A revised edition of the publisher’s inaugural publication in 1990, which won the Pandora Award from Women-in-Publishing. Inspirational in its original format, this new edition features poems, stories, essays and interviews with 30 + women writers, both emerging authors and luminaries of contemporary literature such as: – Choices: The Writing of Possession by A.S. Byatt – Becoming a Writer by Saskia Calliste – Jenny – a song by April de Angelis – Interview with Kit de Waal – Anne Hathaway by Carol Ann Duffy – Let the World Burn through you by Sian Evans – Early Women Writers by Philippa Gregory – The Creative Process by Mary Hamer – The Writing Life by Jackie Kay – Screen Diversity by Shuchi Kothari – Writing Plays by Bryony Lavery – The Novelist as Wanderer by Annee Lawrence – Interview with Roseanne Liang – Mei Kwei, I love you by Suchen Christine Lim – The Badminton Court by Jaki McCarrick – Interview with Laura Miles – The Motherload by Raman Mundair – The Feminist Library by Magda Oldziejewska – Fortune Favours The Brave... by Kaite O’Reilly – Interview with Jacqueline Pepall – The Art of Translation by Gabi Reigh – Conditions of Amefricanity -Djamila Ribeiro – Inspiration: Where does it come from? by Fiona Rintoul – Interview with Jasvinder Sanghera – A Room of One’s Own ...or Not? by Anne Sebba – Being a Feminist Writer by Kalista Sy – Mslexia by Debbie Taylor – My Mother, Reading a Novel by Madeleine Thien – Interview with Clare Tomalin – Fortune by Ida Vitale, transl. Tanya Huntington – Interview with Sarah Waters – Virginia Woolf...100 years on by Emma Woolf Includes the original writing workshops plus illustrations from contemporary and vintage illustrators. Guest editor Ann Sandham has compiled the new collection. Reviews: The Women Writers Handbook is a superb, powerful collection of writings from 30 women that are considered to be the emerging authors and luminaries of contemporary fiction, from Carol Ann Duffy to Kit De Waal. With its short chapters, background to who the author is and with 20% of all profits going towards the campaign for a full-sized statue of Virginia Woolf, the first in the UK, it is absolutely a book to buy, read and help to highlight the creativities of women, as well as inspiring other women to believe that they can also do it too. Not only is every piece of work that is included different, well written and informative but the way that the whole book is laid out with inspiring quotes but also beautiful illustrations from women. I loved the activities that can be found at the end of the book, writing workshop activities that could be used within a group in order to breakdown boundaries, to help overcome the fears and misgivings of individuals who would like to become writers, as well as activities to help create depth in characters. I think this inclusion of interactivity, as well as giving a feminist spin on fairy tales is a cleverly unique concept. ...its absolutely one to pick up and for a worthy cause too. --thereadingcloset Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited, ''The Women Writers Handbook''; by Ann Sandham (Commissioning Editor for Ladybird Children''s Books at Penguin Random House) also features an informative Foreword by Cheryl Robson (the Aurora Metro Books publisher). Of special note is the inclusion of a instruction article on how to operate a writing workshop, a five page Resource Directory (compiled by Saskia Calliste), and a fun one-page Quiz. Informative, thought-provoking, inspiring, ''The Women Writers Handbook''; is an extraordinary, unique, and thoroughly ''reader friendly'' in both organization and presentation. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Writing/Publishing collections in general, ''The Women Writers Handbook''; is unreservedly recommended for Women''s Fiction, Literature, and Writing supplemental curriculum reading lists in particular. --Midwest Book Review As a young woman both studying literature and harbouring dreams of becoming a writer myself, it seems to me that the world of writers is a great looming circle of male literary greats. Dickens, Wilde, Shakespeare, Scott, Browning the list of the most respected literary figures seems both to be endless and decidedly full of men. The whole industry seems overwhelmingly male with merely a few select women being let into this strange world governed by men. Although I have felt very welcomed and my voice heard in my studies and critique of literature, there seems to be precious few ways for me to become a meaningful contributor to the discipline. That is why it is so important that a book like this exists, giving guidance like this, telling stories like these, and using women''s voices to do so. Sandham offers a helping hand to all aspiring female writers to aid them in navigating their ventures into the literary world. The Handbook offers a space to women from all backgrounds to share their stories in my favourite segment: Women''s Voices. One story that stood out to me most was told by Magda Oldziejewska in The Feminist Library. Oldziejewska recounts her experience of discovering the Feminist Library; an archive in London which exists to preserve the lives, works and memories of many women. I especially liked this piece as it shows that there does in fact exist a space for women to feel not only safe and welcomed, but actively valued in the literary world. A space where we can learn about the forgotten women who came before us and ensure that the great female powers of our time do not slip into the void of lost female writers. The importance of creating access points to the literary world for women is monumental and Sandham has so beautifully created another in her making of this Handbook. The later segments of the Handbook (Writing Workshops and Workshop Sessions) give an incredible level of insight into the more finnicky aspects of serious writing with guides on Developing Complex Characters to Self-censorship. The frank discussion provided throughout the workshop segments is an indispensable tool for any budding author looking to get real and seriously improve the quality of their writing. I would recommend The Women Writers'' Handbook not only to women with explicit intentions to embark on their literary careers who need some support, but to anyone who seeks to better understand both the struggles and triumphs of women in the world of literature. --portobellobookblog What a fabulous source book - full of inspirational essays, short stories, poems and interviews with some top female writers - about the writing process, feminism and the experience of female authors, designed to get the juices flowing for any woman who has the hankering to write. If this was not enough to make you want to grab your note book and pen and embark on a writing project, then there are also writing exercises designed to stimulate the creative impulses and a directory of resources to help you on your way! And... quotes from some of the top women writers, both contemporary, and from history, are spread liberally throughout the publication, as encouragement. If I have not already persuaded you that you need a copy of this book to hand on the writing desk you are now surely going to purchase (should you not have one already), perhaps it will help if you know that 20% of the profits from the sale of this book will go towards the Virginia Woolf statue campaign! --Sue, Vine Voice Thrilled to get my hands on a copy of this updated version of The Women Writers’ Handbook, released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Aurora Metro books. Edited by Ann Sandham, a fabulous collection of poems, stories and interviews from a diverse group of internationally acclaimed women. Also included are the workshops from the original edition of this anthology and there is a newly updated resources list. As well as being a good read with lovely black and white drawings dotted throughout, it’s a really useful book - one I know I will return to time and time again. In addition, 20% of each sale is being donated to the Virginia Woolf statue campaign to go towards funding a statue of the esteemed British writer - the author of pioneering essays on women’s writing and the politics of power, so this is very apt. --Daisy Hollands In aid of the Virginia Woolf Statue campaign at: www.aurorametro.org/virgini-woolf-statue

"What a wonderful collection! Each story is like a little treasure just waiting to be unwrapped, bringing its own unique and engaging perspective to the Austen mythos. A real treat for Jane Austen fans." —Syrie James, bestselling author of The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen and Dracula, My Love Dancing with Mr. Darcy is a sterling collection of short stories inspired by beloved novelist Jane Austen and Chawton House, her longtime home. Edited by Sarah Waters, a bestselling author shortlisted for Great Britain''s Booker Prize, this exceptional anthology features the winning entries in the Jane Austen Short Story Award 2009, a literary competition which celebrates the bicentenary of Jane Austen''s arrival in the village of Chawton, where she spent the most productive years of her writing life. Any reader who''s been captivated by Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, or the other unforgettable excursions into Austen''s literary world will find Dancing with Mr. Darcy an unparalleled delight.

This book examines the suicide crisis in the French workplace and asks why work or conditions of work increasingly push some employees to take their own lives. To address this question, the book analyses a corpus of testimonial material linked to 66 suicide cases across three large French companies during the period from 2005 to 2015. The book investigates what these suicide voices tell us about the present economic order and its impact on human labour within the contemporary juncture of finance-driven neoliberalism.

Finding Joy in All Circumstances In a world chasing happiness, how does one find true joy? In a faith that promises joy as one of its benefits (Galatians 5:22), Christians should have the market cornered on joy, but do we? What is the original meaning of joy and what is the use of it? In this issue, contributors share examples of joy, some hard-won and at the end of a trial. We hope these pieces will help you find the definition of joy in your own life. Contributors “Review of What is Heaven Like? By Richard Eng”: Jasmin Biggs on the theological truths found in a children’s book. “Again I Say: An Excerpt From In Their Mother''s Arms”: a novel excerpt by Donald W. Catchings, Jr. on a post-apocalyptic dystopia. “Joy and the Mind of the Reader”: Annie Crawford on why we should read. “Meticulous Mycologist: How Beatrix Potter Inspired C.S. Lewis”: Carrie Eben on joy in Beatrix Potter. Poems “Broken Blessings” and “Jubilee”: Joshua S. Fullman on God’s gifts. Poems “Home at Last” and “Song of Songs”: Ann Gauger on longing and love. “Joy - Brief”: Soujourna Howard on joy through pain. “The Shoes”: a short story by Kim Jacobson on finding spiritual joy. “Joy, Hedonism, and Scientific Utopia”: Jason Monroe on a truly good life. “Joy as Life’s Fuel”: Seth Myers the pursuit of joy. “Joy in the Mystery”: Annie Nardone on joy and donegality. “Review: Mere Evangelism”: Josiah Peterson on a new work on C.S. Lewis. “The Crown Because of the Cross: The Inseparability of Suffering and Joy in the Thought of C.S. Lewis”: Megan Joy Rials on suffering and joy and “A Review of A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin” on a worthy successor to C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. “Gratitude and the Happiness Machine”: Zak Schmoll on the root of joy. “Father Stu: A Story of Faith and Flaws, of Dreams and Determination”: John P. Tuttle on an authentic biopic. Poems “Joy''s Arrival” and “Hidden in the Boughs”: Sarah Waters on coming together. “Joy (And Truth and Love): Some Johannine and Pastoral Reflections”: Donald Williams on a Johannine look at joy. Photography contributions by Tommy Darin Liskey .Cover Art Our cover illustration was created by Chilean artist, apologist, and physician Virginia de la Lastra. Fall 2022 Volume 5, Issue 3 240 pages

Viihdyttävä, vangitseva ja ajatuksia herättävä romaani Toisen maailmansodan aikaiseen Lontooseen sijoittuva tarina seuraa neljän lontoolaisnuoren elämää. Kay on sodanaikainen ambulanssikuski, joka nyt vaeltelee levottomana Lontoon kaduilla miehen vaatteissa etsien nuorta naisseuraa. Helen, joka on omistushaluinen tyttöystävänsä Julian suhteen ja mustasukkainen jopa tämän menneisyydestä. Viv, glamourtyttö, jolla on onneton suhde naimisissa olevaan mieheen sekä nuori mies Duncan, jonka näennäinen viattomuus peittää alleen häntä vaivaavat demonit. Sota muokkaa ihmisiä ja saa aikaan erikoisia kohtaamisia... Watersin huikea taito saada kokonainen aikakausi eloon todentuu taas kerran. Ilmapommitukset, pimennetyt kadut ja laittomat suhteet odottavat lukijaa. Rakkaus ja onnen sirpaleet leviävät samalla kun ilmapommitukset kylvävät tuhoa.

»Die Muschelöffnerin«, ein fesselnder, vielschichtig-erotischer Liebesroman, spielt in der viktorianischen (Halb-) Welt der wilden 1890er Jahre und erzählt von der schillernden Karriere der Nancy Astley: Als Kind arbeitet sie als Muschelöffnerin im elterlichen Austernrestaurant an der Küste von Kent. Zu ihren wenigen Vergnügungen zählen die Besuche in der Music Hall im nahegelegenen Canterbury. Dort sieht sie eines Tages die »Herrendarstellerin« Kitty Butler auf der Bühne - und ist hingerissen! Die junge Künstlerin lässt sich auf Nancys verliebte Schwärmerei ein und beginnt eine Liebesbeziehung mit ihr. Nancy folgt Kitty nach London. Bald schon stehen die beiden als Duo in Männerkleidern auf der Bühne und feiern Triumphe ...

«L’HO LETTO CON PASSIONE, MI HA STREGATA» MARGARET ATWOOD Sedute spiritiche, spettri ribelli e passioni proibite. Sullo sfondo, una Londra fosca e ambigua di epoca vittoriana. Ed ecco che, tra il racconto del terrore e il romanzo erotico, si dipana la storia tortuosa e inquietante di un’affinità elettiva. Selina Dawes è detenuta nella prigione di Millbank perché giudicata colpevole di frode e aggressione. I suoi poteri di medium e la sua indole enigmatica suscitano l’interesse di Margaret Prior, una giovane di buona famiglia che presta servizio di volontariato in quel carcere. Selina sembra innocente ma la sua permanenza in prigione non è immotivata. Nel tentativo di aiutarla, Margaret si troverà coinvolta in una vicenda densa di atmosfere crepuscolari dove il mistero e il delitto sembrano costituire l’essenza della condizione umana. È una scrittura, quella della Waters, che non cede mai al sentimentalismo. Spicchi di verità si affacciano nell’avvicendarsi di scene mozzafiato per poi tornare a celarsi in un gioco sapiente di rimandi tra il presente e il passato delle due protagoniste. L’intera storia, dunque, deve essere rielaborata dal lettore volta per volta, quasi per magio o ipnosi. Una rappresentazione della realtà che si costruisce per sovrapposizioni e confronti fino al colmo della suspense, quando la mente e i sensi potranno dirsi finalmente soddisfatti.

Vi befinner oss i 1880-talets England. Nancy arbetar som ostronöppnerska på familjens fiskrestaurang när hon träffar Kitty Butler, en varietésångare, som hon blir handlöst förälskad i. Hon beslutar sig för att följa med Kitty till London och de stora teatrarna där och snart blir hon Kittys partner – både på och utanför scenen. Deras karriär tar ordentlig fart, men allt får ett plötsligt slut när Nancy brädas av en rival. Hennes färd ner mot samhällets botten tar sin början och väl där är livet skoningslöst. Kyssa sammet är en slösande rik skildring i Charles Dickens fotspår. Sarah Waters har förmågan att gestalta en historisk miljö och ett samhälle under förvandling som få andra författare. Sarah Waters (född 1966 i Wales) debuterade 1998 med Kyssa sammet som också blev hennes genombrott. Därefter har det blivit ytterligare fem prisbelönta historiska romaner och Waters har nominerats till Bookerpriset tre gånger. Under 2015 är hon aktuell med en ny roman, Hyresgästerna. I samband med detta ger Natur & Kultur åter ut Nattvakten och Främlingen i huset i pocket. Samtliga titlar finns också tillgängliga som e-böcker.

England im 19. Jahrhundert: Susan Trinder wächst im Waisenhaus der zwielichtigen Mrs. Sucksby auf. Gemeinsam mit dem aalglatten Richard Rivers, genannt "Gentleman", plant sie einen großen Coup: Als Zofe will sie sich in das Vertrauen der jungen Erbin Maud Lilly einschleichen, um alsbald die Weichen für deren Heirat mit Gentleman zu stellen. Kurz nach der Eheschließung soll Maud dann ins Irrenhaus abgeschoben werden, um an ihr Vermögen zu kommen. Zunächst verläuft alles nach Plan. Selbst die zärtlich-leidenschaftlichen Gefühle, die Susan schon bald für Maud entwickelt, können sie nicht beirren. Doch plötzlich nehmen die Ereignisse eine atemberaubende Wendung. Zu spät erkennt Susan, dass sie in ein gefährliches Intrigenspiel geraten ist, in dem es nun um Liebe und Tod geht ...

Un día de verano llaman al doctor Faraday a Hundreds Hall, la mansión de los Ayres, en el desolado centro de la Inglaterra de posguerra. Faraday ya había estado allí cuando era un niño y su madre era una de las criadas de la casa. Ahora es médico, aunque con una posición social no muy cómoda, y piensa que esta visita es un golpe de suerte. Pero Hundreds Hall ya no es más que la sombra de sí misma. La señora Ayres aún es una señora elegante, aunque viva entre paredes desconchadas. Roderick, su hijo, ha vuelto de la guerra enfermo de los nervios. Se ocupa como puede de la casa y va vendiendo las tierras. Su hermana Caroline, excéntrica y masculina, y no desprovista de encanto, ha tenido que volver a Hundreds Hall para ayudarlo. Pero los Ayres han llamado al doctor Faraday para que se ocupe de Betty, la joven criada que quizá sólo está enferma de miedo. Y aunque nadie la cree, en la mansión se oyen ruidos inexplicables y se ven sombras fugaces, y las cosas más familiares pueden volverse perversas...

Londra, 1947. Le strade, segnate dalle cicatrici dei bombardamenti, sostengono l’inquieto vagabondare di quattro esistenze, ciascuna oppressa da un passato amaro e invadente. Kay, che durante la guerra guidava l’ambulanza, ora veste abiti maschili e vaga per la strada in preda a un incessante languore, in cerca di neanche lei sa cosa... Helen, intelligente, dolce, amatissima e insieme così fragile. La bella Viv, legata al suo amante soldato da una fedeltà ostinata, quasi folle, e da un doloroso segreto. Duncan, che divide le sue giornate tra un lavoro senza aspirazioni e la compagnia di un vecchio signore, è implacabilmente tormentato dai suoi demoni... Viaggiando a ritroso nel tempo sino al 1941, seguendo l’intricato filo di ciascuna di queste esistenze, ci troviamo al cuore di un incrocio di destini, costellato di legami ambigui e segreti tra raid aerei, strade oscurate, atti di eroismo insieme epici e ordinari, relazioni illecite e avventure sensuali. La guerra, si sa, crea strane alleanze... In un romanzo tenero, tragico e meravigliosamente intenso, Sarah Waters orchestra con riconosciuta maestria narrativa un contrappunto a quattro voci, a cantare, sul filo di continue sorprese e colpi di scena, l’amore e l’amicizia, la tenacia di relazioni che, sfidando il terreno più arido e inospitale, continuano a germogliare nuove gemme.

«Nitidamente perfetto e piacevole, affascinante come una tela di ragno, una prova d''immaginazione scintillante.» Daily Telegraph «Un thriller in costume, tra Dickens e Sherlock Holmes.» Grazia - Alberto Bevilacqua «Ladra tiene alta la tensione del racconto raggiungendo in alcuni punti un pathos degno del miglior melodramma.» la Repubblica Protagoniste di questo fosco intrigo ambientato nella Londra di fine Ottocento sono due giovani orfane: Sue Trinder, figlia di un’assassina, cresciuta in un mondo dickensiano di piccoli delinquenti, e Maud Lilly, una ricca ereditiera, che vive in una grande casa con uno zio dispotico. Benché non sia troppo convinta, Sue accetta di partecipare a un crudele piano ai danni di Maud, per impossessarsi del suo patrimonio. Ma gli esiti del piano si rivelano drammatici e del tutto inaspettati. L’intreccio è fittissimo, e come ha commentato l’Observer, farebbe invidia ai romanzieri dell’Ottocento.Quello che sulle prime poteva sembrare un melodramma vittoriano si tinge di atmosfere gotiche, trasformandosi in un sinistro thriller che mescola con grande raffinatezza emozioni, suspense e scene di erotismo saffico. Un romanzo di straordinaria modernità, dunque, che introduce al pubblico italiano la voce di un’autentica narratrice, annoverata dalla rivista letteraria Granta fra gli autori più interessanti dell’ultimo decennio.

«Una delle migliori scrittrici viventi. » Independent on Sunday Ostricara nella taverna dei genitori sulle coste del Kent, astro nascente dello scintillante firmamento del varietà londinese, prostituta da strada e infine mantenuta di una capricciosa dama: nonostante la giovane età, in pochi anni Nancy si è ritrovata a interpretare così tanti ruoli da credere di dover ormai prendere posto nel buio della sala e limitarsi a fare da spettatore al magico teatro della vita. Ma proprio quando tutto sembra perduto, la sua innata passione la spinge a recitare il ruolo più impegnativo ed esaltante: essere finalmente se stessa, libera di amare ed essere riamata senza condizionamenti di sorta. In quello che ha rappresentato il suo esordio letterario, Sarah Waters regala al lettore un erotico e picaresco romanzo d’iniziazione alla vita – in tutte le sue molteplici, spesso dolorose, sfaccettature –, tanto più straordinario perché, inseguendo i rovesci di fortuna della sua eroina, riesce a pizzicare tutte le corde dei sentimenti, a far ridere e a commuovere, a suscitare entusiasmo e compassione. Ma come sempre, anche qui il talento narrativo dell’autrice raggiunge esiti d’eccezione nel ricostruire la Londra vittoriana, l’altra grande protagonista della storia, che in queste pagine rivive sapientemente in tutta la sua atmosfera, grazie ai suoi raffinati salotti, agli scintillanti music-hall, alle squallide strade di vita, ai luoghi di dibattito politico e impegno sociale.

England 1947. I efterkrigstidens London vandrar Kay omkring på stadens gator, rastlös och traumatiserad av krigets grymheter. Viv och Helens verksamhet hjälper ensamma människor att finna kärleken, men själva är de djupt intrasslade i egna destruktiva förhållanden. Vivs bror Duncan plågas svårt av sitt förflutna och lever isolerat tills någon han kände för länge sedan en dag dyker upp. Alla bär de på hemligheter från kriget och när berättelsen rör sig bakåt i tiden vävs de fyra personernas levnadsöden samman. Medan blitzen ödelägger staden utspelar sig ett annat drama bakom mörkläggningsgardinerna. Sarah Waters älskade roman Nattvakten finns nu åter i pocket på svenska, i samband med utgivningen av hennes sjätte roman Hyresgästerna. Nattvakten nominerades till Bookerpriset 2006 och blev en bästsäljare i England. Sarah Waters (född 1966 i Wales) debuterade 1998 med Kyssa sammet som också blev hennes genombrott. Därefter har det blivit ytterligare fem prisbelönta historiska romaner och Waters har nominerats till Bookerpriset tre gånger. Under 2015 är hon aktuell med en ny roman, Hyresgästerna. I samband med detta ger Natur & Kultur åter ut Nattvakten och Främlingen i huset i pocket. Samtliga titlar finns också tillgängliga som e-böcker.

Una pasión prohibida y un crimen, un deslumbrante crescendo de erotismo y tensión. Londres, 1922. La sociedad está en pleno proceso de cambio y las consecuencias de la Primera Guerra Mundial siguen muy presentes. A Frances Wray la contienda le arrebató a sus dos hermanos, y ahora vive con su madre viuda en una mansión de una zona residencial a las afueras de Londres. Madre e hija, de clase alta, pasan apuros económicos, y, para aliviarlos, deciden alquilar parte de su residencia a unos huéspedes de pago. Sus inquilinos son un joven matrimonio con aspiraciones burguesas, Leonard y Lilian Barber. Él tiene ambiciones y ella luce coloridos quimonos y pone música en el gramófono. Frances y su madre deberán amoldarse a la pérdida de intimidad que supone la llegada de la pareja, y entre propietarias y huéspedes se establecerá una relación a veces incómoda, marcada por la diferencia de clase. Pero Frances irá descubriendo que comparte más cosas de las que pudiera parecer con Lilian, y entre ambas mujeres se forjará una complicidad de secretos compartidos y una peligrosa pasión que desembocará en un acto violento de terribles consecuencias. Sarah Waters abandona la época victoriana y el periodo de la Segunda Guerra Mundial que había explorado en anteriores libros y recrea los «felices veinte», mezclando la crónica de una sociedad en pleno proceso de transformación, el retrato costumbrista con toques de comedia, la historia de un amor prohibido y el suspense de un crimen inquietante. A través de su exploración del pasado de la sociedad británica, desvela sus tabúes, rincones oscuros y deseos inconfesables. Manejando con magistral exactitud el crescendo de tensión y erotismo, la autora nos deslumbra con esta obra que la consagra como la reina indiscutible de la novela de ambientación histórica con un toque muy personal y moderno.

Andra världskriget är slut och nya vindar sveper över England. Hundreds Hall var en gång ett av landets största och pampigaste gods, men nu flagnar putsen från husfasaden och ogräset som hotar att ta över trädgården vittnar om förfallet. När doktor Faraday kallas till huset en het sensommardag för att se till en patient upptäcker han att det inte bara är ekonomiska svårigheter som har drabbat familjen Ayers, det tycks också vila något olycksbådande över godset. Snart dras han in i familjens liv och föga anar doktor Faraday hur hans eget liv kommer att påverkas av huset och dess invånare. Vad är det som hemsöker godset? Vad är det som kastar sin mörka skugga över Hundreds Hall? Sarah Waters hyllade roman Främlingen i huset är en suggestiv berättelse med en omisskännlig tidsprägel från efterkrigstidens England. En riktig spökhistoria, och samtidigt en skildring av klasstillhörighet och makt i form av en bladvändare. Sarah Waters (född 1966 i Wales) debuterade 1998 med Kyssa sammet som också blev hennes genombrott. Därefter har det blivit ytterligare fem prisbelönta historiska romaner och Waters har nominerats till Bookerpriset tre gånger. Under 2015 är hon aktuell med en ny roman, Hyresgästerna. I samband med detta ger Natur & Kultur åter ut Nattvakten och Främlingen i huset i pocket. Samtliga titlar finns också tillgängliga som e-böcker.

Animal world is full of danger. Many animals have intriguing ways to protect themselves.