Barbara Trapido Books

The larger-than-life novel that redefined the coming-of-age genre, Brother of the More Famous Jack is Trapido's highly acclaimed debut

The moment Jem joins her class in the middle of Silent Reading, Alice knows her life is changed. Jem seduces Alice with esoteric literature and the fabric of the past - and then she vanishes. Five years on, Jem blazes across her sphere again. And then the infuriating Giovanni appears.

Several British eccentrics are brought together by the death of a woman and the result is a series of romances. A satirical look at the British social scene with its indestructible class system. By the author of Noah's Ark.

Dinah and her sister Lisa are growing up in 1950's South Africa, where racial laws are tightening. They are two little girls from a dissenting liberal family. Big sister Lisa is strong and sensible, while Dinah is weedy and arty. At school, the sadistic Mrs Vaughan-Jones is providing instruction in mental arithmetic and racial prejudice. And then there's the puzzle of lunch break. 'Would you rather have a native girl or a koelie to make your sandwiches?' a first-year classmate asks. But Dinah doesn't know the answer, because it's her dad who makes her sandwiches. As the apparatus of repression rolls on, Dinah finds her own way, escaping into rewarding friendships. Then there's the minefield of boys and university and finally, there's marriage and voluntary exile in London. As we follow Dinah's journey through childhood and adolescence, we enter into one of the darker passages of twentieth-century history. Balancing darkness and light with marvellous dexterity, this is Barbara Trapido at the top of her form - vibrant, profound and, as always, irresistible.

Alison, who has two failed marriages which have left her with a broken heart, meets Noah Glazer - a whisky-drinking American doctor who gives her life a serenity she never thought possible. Until Noah is away at a conference, and Alison is drawn towards exploring certain avenues of her past.

Alliant le génie de la construction à un merveilleux talent de conteuse, Barbara Trapido explore les relations amoureuses et sexuelles de la bourgeoisie intellectuelle anglaise dans un roman subtil, bouillonnant d'esprit et d'humour.