How it All Began
How it All Began by Penelope Lively is a vibrant novel published by Penguin Books in 2013, featuring 240 pages in English. The story begins when Charlotte Rainsford, a retired schoolteacher, encounters a petty thief on a London street, setting off a series of events that affect both acquaintances and strangers. The narrative weaves through various lives, revealing how a marriage unravels due to an illicit affair exposed by a misdirected cell phone message, while other characters navigate their own challenges and transformations.
Readers will find a richly conceived cast of characters as Lively explores the unexpected ways lives intersect and the powerful role of chance. The story includes themes of friendship and romance, illustrating how seemingly minor encounters can lead to significant changes. Through her hallmark graceful prose, Lively offers keen insights into human nature, making this contemporary tale resonate with a wide audience.
Official synopsis Publisher
A vibrant new novel from Penelope Lively—a wry, wise story about the surprising ways lives intersect
When Charlotte Rainsford, a retired schoolteacher, is accosted by a petty thief on a London street, the consequences ripple across the lives of acquaintances and strangers alike. A marriage unravels after an illicit love affair is revealed through an errant cell phone message; a posh yet financially strapped interior designer meets a business partner who might prove too good to be true; an old-guard historian tries to recapture his youthful vigor with an ill-conceived idea for a TV miniseries; and a middle-aged central European immigrant learns to speak English and reinvents his life with the assistance of some new friends.
Through a richly conceived and colorful cast of characters, Penelope Lively explores the powerful role of chance in people’s lives and deftly illustrates how our paths can be altered irrevocably by someone we will never even meet. Brought to life in her hallmark graceful prose and full of keen insights into human nature, How It All Began is an engaging, contemporary tale that is sure to strike a chord with her legion of loyal fans as well as new readers. A writer of rare wisdom, elegance, and humor, Lively is a consummate storyteller whose gifts are on full display in this masterful work.
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