A Far Cry from Kensington

The divine Spark is shining at her brightest . . . Pure delight
An outstanding novel . . . A FAR CRY FROM KENSINGTON has an effortless, translucent grasp of the spirit of the period
'Wonderfully entertaining - full of absurd, comical, engaging characters and written with typical wit, elegance and aplomb
One of Muriel Spark's most liberating, liberated and meditative novels. Spark is a writer who can take the meditative and make it mercurially funny, playful and mischievous
I can't help it. Sometimes the words just come out and I can't stop them. It feels like preaching the gospel. [large quote]


When publishing assistant and war widow Nancy Hawkins tells Hector Bartlett that he 'urinates frightful prose', the repercussions are swift. Losing not one, but two, much-sought-after literary jobs, Mrs Hawkins finds herself embroiled in a mystery involving anonymous letters, quack remedies and blackmail. Only years later, a far cry from Kensington, can she look back with a sharp and mischievous eye at the cost of telling the truth.

Introduced by Ali Smith.


'I was in heaven reading this book' Stephen Fry


'Funny, astringent, shrewd, her take on life is wonderfully bracing' William Boyd


'The divine Spark is shining at her brightest. Pure delight' Claire Tomalin

Muriel Spark