Book
Learning to talk : stories / Hilary Mantel.
"In the wake of Hilary Mantel's brilliant conclusion to her award-winning Wolf Hall trilogy, this collection of loosely autobiographical stories locates the transforming moments of a haunted childhood. Sharp and funny, these drawn-from-life stories begin in the 1950s in an insular northern village "scoured by bitter winds and rough gossip tongues." For the child narrator, the only way to survive is to get up, get on, get out. In "King Billy Is a Gentleman," the child must come to terms with the loss of a father and the puzzle of a fading Irish heritage. "Curved Is the Line of Beauty" is a story of friendship, faith, and a near-disaster in a scrap-yard. The title story sees our narrator ironing out her northern vowels with the help of an ex-actress with one lung and a Manchester accent. In "Third Floor Rising," she watches, amazed, as her mother carves out a stylish new identity. With a deceptively light touch, Mantel illuminates the poignant experiences of childhood that leave each of us forever changed"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781250865366
- ISBN: 1250865360
- ISBN: 9781250825131
- ISBN: 125082513X
- Physical Description: xiii, 157 pages ; 22 cm
- Edition: First U.S. edition.
- Publisher: New York : Henry Holt and Company, 2022.
- Copyright: ©2003
Content descriptions
- Formatted Contents Note:
- King Billy is a gentleman -- Destroyed -- Curved is the line of beauty -- Learning to talk -- Third floor rising -- The clean slate -- Giving up the ghost.
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- Children > Fiction.
Parent and child > Fiction.
Children. - Genre:
- Fiction.
Short stories.
Short stories.
Autobiographical fiction.
Available copies
- 26 of 27 copies available at Westchester Library System.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 27 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Kisco Public Library | SHORT STORIES MANTEL (Text) | 31017150538244 | Short Stories | Available | - |
| Mount Pleasant Public Library | FIC MANTEL (Text) | 31024153898161 | Fiction | Available | - |
| Mount Vernon Public Library | FICTION MANTEL (Text) | 31018155462695 | Fiction | Available | - |
| New Rochelle Public Library | MANTEL (Text) | 31019156643044 | Fiction | Available | - |
| Ossining Public Library | FICTION (SHORT STORIES) (Text) | 31021153461156 | Fiction | Available | - |
| Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library | SHORT STORIES MANTEL (Text) | 31025152633137 | Fiction | Available | - |
| Pound Ridge Library District | FIC SS MANTEL (Text) | 31026151055496 | Fiction | Available | - |
| Ruth Keeler Memorial Library | F MANTEL (Text) | 31020150823749 | Fiction | Available | - |
| Rye Free Reading Room | FICTION MANTEL (Text) | 31028153384494 | Fiction | Available | - |
| Rye Osborn Branch Library | FIC MAN 3000 (Text) | 31028200088510 | Fiction | Available | - |