WINNER OF THE COSTA NOVEL AWARD What if you had the chance to live your life again and again, until you finally got it right? During a snowstorm in England in 1910, a baby is born and dies before she can take her first breath. During a snowstorm in England in 1910, the same baby is born and lives to tell the tale. What if there were second chances? And third chances? In fact an infinite number of chances to live your life? Would you eventually be able to save the world from its own inevitable destiny? And would you even want to? Life After Life follows Ursula Todd as she lives through the turbulent events of the last century again and again. With wit and compassion, Kate Atkinson finds warmth even in lifeâe(tm)s bleakest moments, and shows an extraordinary ability to evoke the past. Here she is at her most profound and inventive, in a novel that celebrates the best and worst of ourselves.
Todd FamilySeries
This series follows the life of Ursula Todd as she repeatedly experiences pivotal moments of the first half of the twentieth century. Each new beginning offers a chance to alter fate, both her own and the world's. With remarkable humor and sensitivity, the author explores what it means to live fully and whether destiny can truly be escaped. It's a compelling narrative about possibilities, mistakes, and the endless cycles of life.


Recommended Reading Order
- 1
- 2
A God in Ruins
- 560 pages
- 20 hours of reading
WINNER OF THE 2015 COSTA NOVEL AWARD A God in Ruins relates the life of Teddy Todd âe" would-be poet, heroic World War II bomber pilot, husband, father, and grandfather âe" as he navigates the perils and progress of the 20th century. For all Teddy endures in battle, his greatest challenge will be to face living in a future he never expected to have. This gripping, often deliriously funny yet emotionally devastating book looks at war âe" that great fall of Man from grace âe" and the effect it has, not only on those who live through it, but on the lives of the subsequent generations. It is also about the infinite magic of fiction.Those who loved the bestselling Life After Life will recognise Teddy as Ursula Toddâe(tm)s adored younger brother âe" but for those who have not read it, A God in Ruins stands fully on its own. Few will dispute that it proves once again that Kate Atkinson is one of the most exceptional novelists of our age.