The Gift of Looking Closely - Paperback

by Al Brookes (Author)

Claire believes she was manipulated, when she was sixteen, into helping her mother commit suicide. Now in her late twenties, she negotiates a complex reality. 'I have strange thoughts; I see things I shouldn't; my feelings bend me double.' She uses her dead mother's letters as a kind of oracle, her father's dictionary to help her make sense of things - and goes on a shoplifting spree when things become unbearable. So far, she has managed to get by on her own. But now Claire needs someone. 'If just one person really knew me, I think it would be enough.' And she wants that person to be you. She speaks directly off the page, challenging you to walk in her shoes: 'You be Claire then, and I'll watch.' And in a breathtaking change of perspective, you step into her life. Bursting with ideas and life, seamed with beautifully crafted language and startling imagery, The Gift of Looking Closely offers a vivid and sensual reading experience. You will never have read anything quite like it.

Author Biography

Al Brookes lives in Brighton, England, with two dogs who are small but robust. She has been a freelance writer for many years; this is her first novel.