Man Booker Prize nominee Fay Weldon has been writing some of the boldest, funniest satirical novels for over half a century. In her mid-eighties, she's penned a scathing sequel, The Death of a She Devil.
The Life and Loves of a She Devil
A New York Times Notable Book
Weldon tells the story of Ruth, whose husband, Bobbo, has fallen in love with Mary Fisher, a bestselling romance novelist who lives in a high tower overlooking the sea. Mary is petite, dainty, and lovely. Ruth is not. When Bobbo moves out, Ruth decides to orchestrate an elaborate and masterful revenge. Weldon's novel was made into a film with Meryl Streep and Roseanne Barr.
The Hearts and Lives of Men: In Weldon's novel set in 1960s London, Clifford Wexford and Helen Lally meet at a party and fall passionately in love. But their baby, Nell, isn't even a year old when their marriage unravels. Divorce quickly follows, and so begins a battle for Nell's care and affection. Helen remarries; Clifford has affairs-and something quite remarkable happens to little Nell, as an ill-conceived kidnapping plot sets her on a series of picaresque adventures in this modern-day fairy tale.
Praxis
Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize
Praxis Duveen is a survivor. At five years old, in 1920s England, she is still innocent, the product of an unstable mother and a father who abandoned her and Hypatia, her half-crazy sister. As the decades fly by, Praxis experiences many incarnations, from prostitute to rape victim, wife to adulteress, and eventually becomes the accidental leader of an international women's movement. Now, from her dingy basement apartment where she's attempting to write a memoir, Praxis recounts her remarkable journey-peppered with more than a few detours along the way.
