Book description
It's not easy for Chrysalis Moffat to tell the story of her life. The
more closely she tries to set down the facts, the more she finds
herself doubting them. Her father has been dead since she was ten; her
mother has just succumbed to complications following plastic surgery.
Her bad brother Eddie returns to claim his inheritance and cunningly
transforms the family house into the headquarters for a school of
Tibetan Buddhism enlisting the help of trainee guru, Ralph. As the
pair fleece credulous Californians of their cash, Chrysalis is drawn
into a strange and compelling world: a realm of mind-blowing
coincidences, obsessive gambling and mysterious siblings.
Sandra Newman has a marksman's skill for quick-fire dialogue, a
passion for Byzantine plotting and a wicked sense of humour. But
beneath the technical fireworks lies a brilliantly subtle
understanding of human nature and our philosophical dilemmas. Is it
Fate or Chance that dictates our lives? And who holds all the cards?
Born in America but has lived in England for 15 years. She is a
graduate of the UEA creative writing course, where she was considered by
W. G. Sebald and Andrew Motion to be one of the most promising students.
