The Thirteenth Tale
By Diane SetterfieldWhen Margaret Lea opened the door to the past, what she confronted was her destiny.
All children mythologize their birth...So begins the prologue of reclusive author Vida Winter's collection of stories, which are as famous for the mystery of the missing thirteenth tale as they are for the delight and enchantment of the twelve that do exist.
The enigmatic Winter has spent six decades creating various outlandish life histories for herself -- all of them inventions that have brought her fame and fortune but have kept her violent and tragic past a secret. Now old and ailing, she at last wants to tell the truth about her extraordinary life. She summons biographer Margaret Lea, a young woman for whom the secret of her own birth, hidden by those who loved her most, remains an ever-present pain. Struck by a curious parallel between Miss Winter's story and her own, Margaret takes on the commission.
As Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good, Margaret is mesmerized. It is a tale of gothic strangeness featuring the Angelfield family, including the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire.
Margaret succumbs to the power of Vida's storytelling but remains suspicious of the author's sincerity. She demands the truth from Vida, and together they confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.
The Thirteenth Tale is a love letter to reading, a book for the feral reader in all of us, a return to that rich vein of storytelling that our parents loved and that we loved as children. Diane Setterfield will keep you guessing, make you wonder, move you to tears and laughter and, in the end, deposit you breathless yet satisfied back upon the shore of your everyday life.
Book details
- Hardcover
- 406 pages
- English
- 0743298020
- 9780743298025
About Diane Setterfield
“…a mistress of the craft of storytelling.”the guardiandiane setterfield is a british author. her bestselling novel, the thirteenth tale Read More about Diane Setterfield
More Books By Diane Setterfield
People who bought this also bought
Bridal Gown Guide: Discover the Dress of Your Dreams at a Price You Can Afford
Used Book
The Moms' Book: For the Mom Who's Best at Everything book by Alison Maloney
Used Book
The Five Tibetans: Five Dynamic Exercises for Health, Energy, and Personal Power
Used Book
A Twisted Faith : A Minister's Obsession and the Murder That Destroyed a Church
Used Book
Webster's Dictionary for Home, School and Office New, Revised and Expanded Edition
Used Book
Cosmic Questions : Galactic Halos, Cold Dark Matter and the End of Time
Used Book
Going Public Sourcebook: The Initial Public Offering Process and the Compliance Requirements of a Public Company
Used Book
8 Minutes in the Morning: A Simple Way to Shed Up to 2 Pounds a Week Guaranteed
Used Book
Notes on Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man"
Used Book
The Beloved and 'Bent': Families Learning to Accept Lesbians and Gays
Used Book