Tattycoram by Audrey Thomas (English) Hardcover Book

Description: Tattycoram by Audrey Thomas Caricatured by Charles Dickens in Little Dorrit as the cantankerous maid of Mr. and Mrs. Meagles, "Tattycoram" tells her own life story in this utterly compelling metafiction by the celebrated author of Isobel Gunn. Throughout her career, Audrey Thomas has repeatedly challenged her readers to follow her into new territory. In Tattycoram, she does it again, taking readers into the distant fictional world of Charles Dickenss England, where, in an unusual twist, Dickens interacts with his own characters, allowing Thomas to raise questions about the intersection of life and art. In Thomass hands, Harriet Coram gains both a poignant personal history and a quiet dignity. Abandoned as a baby at the London Foundling Hospital and cared for by a kindly foster mother until the age of five, the young Hattie attracts the attention of the Victorian novelist Charles Dickens, who hires her as the family housemaid. In the Dickens household, Charless sister Miss Georgina takes an instant dislike to Hatties pretty looks and trains her caged raven to tease her with the mocking nickname of Tattycoram. Although Hattie escapes from Dickens and his family to care for her dying foster mother in the country, she is later swept back under the famous authors sphere of observation as a teacher in his newly founded school for released female convicts. There she befriends Elizabeth Avis, who also appears as another minor character from Little Dorrit. In typical Dickensian fashion, Hattie meets not one, but two, long-lost brothers and falls in love with the one who conveniently turns out not to be her "real" brother. But first, she must confront her benefactor about his shameless misrepresentation of her and Elizabeths characters in his latest novel. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Back Cover Harriet Coram may be only a maid, trained at the London Foundling Hospital where she was abandoned as an infant, but she is fully human. Does Charles Dickenss fame and genius give him the right to transform her circumstances and her character into fiction? Flap Harriet Coram may be only a maid, trained at the London Foundling Hospital where she was abandoned as an infant, but she is fully human. Does Charles Dickenss fame and genius give him the right to transform her circumstances and her character into fiction? Author Biography Audrey Thomas was born in Binghamton, New York, in 1953, and has lived in Canada since 1959. She divides her time between Galiano Island in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia and Victoria. She has published more than a dozen works of fiction. Her novels include Mrs. Blood (1970), Latakia (1979), Intertidal Life (1984), and Isobel Gunn (1999). "Natural History," a prize winner in the 1980 CBC Canadian Literary Awards, was published in her collection Real Mothers (1981). Review "Page for page, she is one of the countrys best writers." -- Margaret Atwood * Globe and Mail *"Thomas is a masterful storyteller with a love of language." * Vancouver Sun *"Reading Audrey Thomas, one feels that every sentence is thoughtfully composed, beautifully nuanced, inviting quiet reflection. ... Thomas has brilliantly captured lifes dilemmas." * Winnipeg Free Press *"The story is absorbing and her response to the currently hot question of what an author owes real-life models is consistently thought provoking." * Macleans *"Thomas is a superb, confident writer completely in control of her craft. Her words are like a liquid lens. ... She leads us into a parallel universe, a playground of the imagination where we make life-long friends." -- Donna Bailey Nurse * The National Post *"A very clever little novel. On one level, it is highly readable and apes the conventions of popular Victorian fiction in a satisfying way. On another more post-modern level, the novel allows the reader to chew over all those fascinating questions about fact and fiction, the integrity of private stories, and the sinister power of writers." -- Bronwyn Drainie * Quill & Quire * Long Description Caricatured by Charles Dickens in Little Dorrit as the cantankerous maid of Mr. and Mrs. Meagles, "Tattycoram" tells her own life story in this utterly compelling metafiction by the celebrated author of Isobel Gunn . Throughout her career, Audrey Thomas has repeatedly challenged her readers to follow her into new territory. In Tattycoram , she does it again, taking readers into the distant fictional world of Charles Dickenss England, where, in an unusual twist, Dickens interacts with his own characters, allowing Thomas to raise questions about the intersection of life and art. In Thomass hands, Harriet Coram gains both a poignant personal history and a quiet dignity. Abandoned as a baby at the London Foundling Hospital and cared for by a kindly foster mother until the age of five, the young Hattie attracts the attention of the Victorian novelist Charles Dickens, who hires her as the family housemaid. In the Dickens household, Charless sister Miss Georgina takes an instant dislike to Hatties pretty looks and trains her caged raven to tease her with the mocking nickname of Tattycoram. Although Hattie escapes from Dickens and his family to care for her dying foster mother in the country, she is later swept back under the famous authors sphere of observation as a teacher in his newly founded school for released female convicts. There she befriends Elizabeth Avis, who also appears as another minor character from Little Dorrit . In typical Dickensian fashion, Hattie meets not one, but two, long-lost brothers and falls in love with the one who conveniently turns out not to be her "real" brother. But first, she must confront her benefactor about his shameless misrepresentation of her and Elizabeths characters in his latest novel. Review Text "Page for page, she is one of the countrys best writers." Review Quote "Thomas is a masterful storyteller with a love of language." - Vancouver Sun Description for Reader Caricatured by Charles Dickens in Little Dorrit as the cantankerous maid of Mr. and Mrs. Meagles, "Tattycoram" tells her own life story in this utterly compelling metafiction by the celebrated author of Isobel Gunn. Throughout her career, Audrey Thomas has repeatedly challenged her readers to follow her into new territory. In Tattycoram, she does it again, taking readers into the distant fictional world of Charles Dickenss England, where, in an unusual twist, Dickens interacts with his own characters, allowing Thomas to raise questions about the intersection of life and art. In Thomass hands, Harriet Coram gains both a poignant personal history and a quiet dignity. Abandoned as a baby at the London Foundling Hospital and cared for by a kindly foster mother until the age of five, the young Hattie attracts the attention of the Victorian novelist Charles Dickens, who hires her as the family housemaid. In the Dickens household, Charless sister Miss Georgina takes an instant dislike to Hatties pretty looks and trains her caged raven to tease her with the mocking nickname of Tattycoram. Although Hattie escapes from Dickens and his family to care for her dying foster mother in the country, she is later swept back under the famous authors sphere of observation as a teacher in his newly founded school for released female convicts. There she befriends Elizabeth Avis, who also appears as another minor character from Little Dorrit. In typical Dickensian fashion, Hattie meets not one, but two, long-lost brothers and falls in love with the one who conveniently turns out not to be her "real" brother. But first, she must confront her benefactor about his shameless misrepresentation of her and Elizabeths characters in his latest novel. Details ISBN0864924313 Author Audrey Thomas Pages 205 Publisher Goose Lane Editions Year 2005 ISBN-10 0864924313 ISBN-13 9780864924315 Format Hardcover Publication Date 2005-05-02 Language English Media Book DOI 10.1604/9780864924315 UK Release Date 2005-05-02 Imprint Goose Lane Editions Place of Publication Fredricton Country of Publication Canada DEWEY FIC Audience General Edition Description First Alternative 9780864925879 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:135673382;

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