The Alphabet up to S

Kermani’s book is one of a kind – a novel and journal, and a tribute to the magic of literature

About a writer at the height of her success yet at her lowest personal point in life

A woman in her fifties has suffered multiple setbacks. Her marriage has failed, her mother has died and suddenly, her role as a public intellectual comes into question – the same job that had led her husband to take over childcare while she tended to the world’s woes. She finds support in books that speak to her like living people. But sometimes, single moments, no matter how brief, buffet her with terror, grief and shame. Like his protagonist, Kermani’s book is one of a kind. A novel, journal, essay and meditation, all rolled into one – a celebration of literature. This is a book like no other because, like all major books, it has created its own form.