Description
Book SynopsisWhat if our homes could tell the stories of others who lived there before us?
Trade ReviewJane Delury arrives on the scene of her debut with a sensibility fully formed and a breathtaking array of writerly gifts at her command -- Jennifer Egan
Riveting . . . [the] stories, related in spare but evocative prose, offer fresh looks at human appetites - sex, love, money, art, culture - while exploring the ups and downs of childhood, family, friendship and aging . . . a compelling saga * Daily Mail *
In lucid prose, the author weaves together deeply involving stories centring on the house, moving back and forth in time, through war and other human catastrophes, rendering a very real France * Saga *
Unexpected . . . Each story stands alone and is satisfying to read, but taking the collection together, seeing the connections intertwine and having those moments of clarity and understanding elevate The Balcony into a truly mesmerising read. I thought it was intelligently written, beautifully constructed and fascinating -- Linda's Book Bag
A delicate fretwork of lives, relationships and secrets . . . Strikingly deft and nuanced; a writer to watch. * Kirkus starred review *
The tensions between country-idyll expectations and dispiriting realities course throughout this shimmering debut novel, whose time-hopping narrative depicts the interconnected journeys of the estate's sundry inhabitants from its 19th-century origins to the recent past. * The New York Times *
Jane Delury arrives on the scene of her debut with a sensibility fully formed and a breathtaking array of writerly gifts at her command. -- Jennifer Egan
A subtly crafted and richly rewarding debut . . . This narrative structure - stand-alone stories woven around a central figure - is reminiscent of "Olive Kitteridge," Elizabeth Strout's Pulitzer Prize-winning book of stories built around the title character. It is no stretch to mention Delury and Strout in the same sentence: Delury's debut book, with wise observations, intriguing twists and indelibly drawn characters, is filled with reading pleasures . . . a compelling saga spanning France's past century, a period in which the manor, ravaged by wars and time, survives as a silent witness. * Daily Mail *
The prose is sharp, and the stories are instantly engaging. * People Magazine *
