December
December by Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop, published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2008, is a literary fiction novel that explores the complexities of a family in crisis. The story centers on eleven-year-old Isabelle, who has not spoken for nearly a year, leaving her parents bewildered and fearful as they grapple with her silence and the potential implications for her future. As they navigate the challenges posed by her withdrawal, the narrative unfolds against the backdrop of their strained relationships and the looming threat of expulsion from her private school.
Readers will find a profound exploration of recovery and self-determination as Isabelle’s journey unfolds. The novel delves into psychological themes, portraying a critical month in her life as she confronts her isolation and the choices that lie ahead. December presents a vivid portrait of a family facing an extraordinary challenge, inviting reflection on the nature of communication and the struggles of adolescence. With 239 pages, this edition is written in English and offers a compelling look at the dynamics of a troubled young girl and her family’s efforts to understand her.
Official synopsis Publisher
A spellbinding novel about a troubled young girl and a family in crisis, and a gripping, astonishing portrait of recovery and self-determination.
WhenDecemberopens, eleven year old Isabelle hasn’t spoken a word in nearly a year. Four psychiatrists have abandoned her, declaring her silence to be impenetrable. Her parents are at once mystified and terrified by their daughter’s withdrawal, and by their own gradually loosening hold on the world as they’ve always known it. Isabelle’s private school, which has until now taken the extraordinary step of allowing her to complete her assignments from home, is on the verge of expelling her, forcing her parents to confront the possibility that what once seemed a quirk of adolescence, a phase, is perhaps a lifelong transformation, a swift and total retreat from which their daughter may never emerge.Decemberpaints an unforgettable picture of a family reckoning with a bewildering crisis, and of a critical month in the life of a bright, fascinating girl, locked into an isolation of her own making and from which only she can decide to break free.
Compulsively readable and deeply affecting,Decemberis a work of marvelous originality and emotional power from a prodigiously gifted young writer.
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