Exposure

"Dunmore has always been fantastic on the complexity of people's motivations and the secret reasons they act as they do. This book is no exception . . . This may be an unconventional thriller, but it's still a page turner for that . . . As the narrative unfolds we realize that this is the novel's beating heart: It's as much a surprising love story as it is a tale of spies." --Kate Hamer, New York Times Book Review "Much like a slick, shape-shifting spook, Exposure is many things at once--an espionage thriller, a forbidden-love story, an immigrant's tale--and it assumes these varied identities with confidence . . . [it is] a novel you won't be able to shake." --Entertainment Weekly "Dunmore's strategy, placing a triangle of past and present loves within a spy novel, yields an unexpected dividend. Even the most ordinary elements of life--the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her children, meeting someone special, what remains unsaid within a marriage--become viscerally exciting." --New Yorker "[Exposure] takes the form of a spy novel but one that has been quietly and ingeniously deepened well beyond the ambitions of genre . . . [it] is one of those books that you read with your heart in your mouth, your mind fully engaged, and with a sense of desolation as you note the dwindling number of pages left before it comes to an end." --Chicago Tribune "[Dunmore has] created an unforgettable family whose ties are strong enough to endure what might have defeated most of us. Whose members grow and change with a kind of fortitude rarely depicted in the modern novel. There are resemblances to Virginia Woolf not only in the terrific prose but also in Helen Dunmore's awareness that much of family life lies in what is not said as much as in what is said . . . Dunmore moves from present to past with uncommon ease; she also moves from one point of view to another with elegance and authority, proving that there are no rules in writing fiction, only what you can do convincingly. And we are absolutely convinced by this story . . . a luminous story of courage and forgiveness." --Arts Fuse "Beautifully crafted . . . a very enjoyable read." --New York Journal of Books "This book is a triumph--a marvelous piece of seamless storytelling. The characters are so persuasive, as is the period flavor, while the plot is masterly--I kept thinking I could see where we were going next, and then we didn't. This is an imaginative new take on the Cold War thriller, so convincingly told and peopled that you surface from it surprised to be back in 2015." --Penelope Lively "Dunmore so cleverly interweaves each of the character's stories that as the tale unfolds it has the chilling ring of absolute authenticity. It's gripping and page turning and all those things you expect in a Spy Drama--but always laced with her trademark humanity. I was totally caught up in the story which is paced perfectly. Her best book yet." --Mavis Cheek Dunmore has always been fantastic on the complexity of people s motivations and the secret reasons they act as they do. This book is no exception . . . This may be an unconventional thriller, but it s still a page turner for that . . . As the narrative unfolds we realize that this is the novel s beating heart: It s as much a surprising love story as it is a tale of spies. Kate Hamer, New York Times Book Review "Much like a slick, shape-shifting spook, Exposure is many things at oncean espionage thriller, a forbidden-love story, an immigrant s taleand it assumes these varied identities with confidence . . . [it is] a novel you won t be able to shake." Entertainment Weekly Dunmore's strategy, placing a triangle of past and present loves within a spy novel, yields an unexpected dividend. Even the most ordinary elements of lifethe lengths to which a mother will go to protect her children, meeting someone special, what remains unsaid within a marriagebecome viscerally exciting. New Yorker "[Exposure] takes the form of a spy novel but one that has been quietly and ingeniously deepened well beyond the ambitions of genre . . . [it] is one of those books that you read with your heart in your mouth, your mind fully engaged, and with a sense of desolation as you note the dwindling number of pages left before it comes to an end." Chicago Tribune [Dunmore has] created an unforgettable family whose ties are strong enough to endure what might have defeated most of us. Whose members grow and change with a kind of fortitude rarely depicted in the modern novel. There are resemblances to Virginia Woolf not only in the terrific prose but also in Helen Dunmore s awareness that much of family life lies in what is not said as much as in what is said . . . Dunmore moves from present to past with uncommon ease; she also moves from one point of view to another with elegance and authority, proving that there are no rules in writing fiction, only what you can do convincingly. And we are absolutely convinced by this story . . . a luminous story of courage and forgiveness. Arts Fuse Beautifully crafted . . . a very enjoyable read. New York Journal of Books "This book is a triumpha marvelous piece of seamless storytelling. The characters are so persuasive, as is the period flavor, while the plot is masterlyI kept thinking I could see where we were going next, and then we didn't. This is an imaginative new take on the Cold War thriller, so convincingly told and peopled that you surface from it surprised to be back in 2015." Penelope Lively "Dunmore so cleverly interweaves each of the character's stories that as the tale unfolds it has the chilling ring of absolute authenticity. It s gripping and page turning and all those things you expect in a Spy Dramabut always laced with her trademark humanity. I was totally caught up in the story which is paced perfectly. Her best book yet." Mavis Cheek" "Much like a slick, shape-shifting spook, "Exposure" is many things at oncean espionage thriller, a forbidden-love story, an immigrant s taleand it assumes these varied identities with confidence . . . [it is] a novel you won t be able to shake." "Entertainment Weekly" Dunmore's strategy, placing a triangle of past and present loves within a spy novel, yields an unexpected dividend. Even the most ordinary elements of lifethe lengths to which a mother will go to protect her children, meeting someone special, what remains unsaid within a marriagebecome viscerally exciting. "New Yorker" "["Exposure"] takes the form of a spy novel but one that has been quietly and ingeniously deepened well beyond the ambitions of genre . . . [it] is one of those books that you read with your heart in your mouth, your mind fully engaged, and with a sense of desolation as you note the dwindling number of pages left before it comes to an end." "Chicago Tribune" [Dunmore has] created an unforgettable family whose ties are strong enough to endure what might have defeated most of us. Whose members grow and change with a kind of fortitude rarely depicted in the modern novel. There are resemblances to Virginia Woolf not only in the terrific prose but also in Helen Dunmore s awareness that much of family life lies in what is not said as much as in what is said . . . Dunmore moves from present to past with uncommon ease; she also moves from one point of view to another with elegance and authority, proving that there are no rules in writing fiction, only what you can do convincingly. And we are absolutely convinced by this story . . . a luminous story of courage and forgiveness. "Arts Fuse" Beautifully crafted . . . a very enjoyable read. "New York Journal of Books" "This book is a triumpha marvelous piece of seamless storytelling. The characters are so persuasive, as is the period flavor, while the plot is masterlyI kept thinking I could see where we were going next, and then we didn't. This is an imaginative new take on the Cold War thriller, so convincingly told and peopled that you surface from it surprised to be back in 2015." Penelope Lively "Dunmore so cleverly interweaves each of the character's stories that as the tale unfolds it has the chilling ring of absolute authenticity. It s gripping and page turning and all those things you expect in a Spy Dramabut always laced with her trademark humanity. I was totally caught up in the story which is paced perfectly. Her best book yet." Mavis Cheek" "["Exposure"] takes the form of a spy novel but one that has been quietly and ingeniously deepened well beyond the ambitions of genre . . . [it] is one of those books that you read with your heart in your mouth, your mind fully engaged, and with a sense of desolation as you note the dwindling number of pages left before it comes to an end." "Chicago Tribune" "This book is a triumpha marvelous piece of seamless storytelling. The characters are so persuasive, as is the period flavor, while the plot is masterlyI kept thinking I could see where we were going next, and then we didn't. This is an imaginative new take on the Cold War thriller, so convincingly told and peopled that you surface from it surprised to be back in 2015." Penelope Lively "Dunmore so cleverly interweaves each of the character's stories that as the tale unfolds it has the chilling ring of absolute authenticity. It s gripping and page turning and all those things you expect in a Spy Dramabut always laced with her trademark humanity. I was totally caught up in the story which is paced perfectly. Her best book yet." Mavis Cheek" Praise for EXPOSURE: "This book is a triumph - a marvelous piece of seamless storytelling. The characters are so persuasive, as is the period flavor, while the plot is masterly - I kept thinking I could see where we were going next, and then we didn't. This is an imaginative new take on the Cold War thriller, so convincingly told and peopled that you surface from it surprised to be back in 2015."Penelope Lively "Dunmore so cleverly interweaves each of the character's stories that as the tale unfolds it has the chilling ring of absolute authenticity. It s gripping and page turning and all those things you expect in a Spy Drama - but always laced with her trademark humanity. I was totally caught up in the story which is paced perfectly. Her best book yet."Mavis Cheek Praise for THE LIE "Lyrical and haunting...With this novel, Dunmore should rank high among writers like Kipling who explore war, its aftermath, and its lies. At the culmination of The Lie, we are left with a reflection on how war for many soldiers does not end with treaties or returns to bucolic homes and old loves, but continues with the ghosts of those who died on the battlefield always there, haunting themand us all.""Washington Independent Review of Books" "A piercing look at the long and lingering tentacles of war...Dunmore writes with elegant authority, her language crisp and tense.""Entertainment Weekly" "A poignant reminder that throughout history, the battle is far from over after a soldier returns home....As this impeccable and finely wrought literary tale winds to a chilling conclusion, readers will themselves be haunted by its evocative portrayal of a life-defining friendship and loss.""Bookpage" "Devastating and triumphant...wholly satisfying. Endings are often the hardest beast for an author to tame, but Dunmore does it, with elegance, vigor and clarity.""The Denver Post" "[A]moving and complex novel...Dunmore does a superb job of capturing her lead s inner torment, even as his story creeps toward a shattering conclusion.""Publishers Weekly" (starred, boxed review) [A] tender tale subtle and enduring...A quiet tragedy a poet's feeling for language shines through the descriptions of the landscapein this novel Dunmore has wreaked tenderness out of tragedy, so that the reader is left with the sense that something beautiful, however fleeting, has been salvaged from the darkness. "The Observer" (UK) Heartbreaking the emotional power resonates. "Kirkus Reviews" Distinguished by the sensual, compact intensity of Dunmore s prose, The Lie lays bare on its local canvas the invisible wounds of a global catastrophe. "Independent" (UK) The Lie is a fine example of Dunmore s ability to perceive the long vistas of history in which the dead remain restlessIt is a book in which ghosts, perhaps, remain imaginary: but they are none the less real for that. "Guardian" (UK) Helen Dunmore s two resources are imagination and research. She s strong on both countsa very good novel. 2014 is a very good year to read it. "The Times" UK) Visceral and elegantly plotted. "Daily Mail" (UK) An enthralling novel of love and devastating loss Powerful storytelling. "Good Housekeeping," Book of the Month Orange-prize winning author Helen Dunmore explores the relationship between two First World War soldiers: Daniel, who survived, and his childhood friend Frederick, who died, plus Daniel s ambiguous bond with Fredericks sister Felicia. A dark and haunting exploration of grief and guilt. "Sunday Express," Hot Books for 2014 Famed for her searing accounts of the siege of Leningrad and its aftermath, Helen Dunmore moves to England after the First World War in The Lie. She chronicles the struggle of a young man without family and homeless amid the quiet landscape of Cornwall, trying to escape his memories of trench warfare. "Daily Express," Top titles for 2014 Exceptionally good. "Western News" The writing, even at its most harrowing, is suffused with poetry and evocative descriptiona heart-wrenching portrait of psychological crucifixion. "Literary Review" An extraordinarily affecting novelcrunchingly powerfulwhat s most heartbreaking about the novel is the hesitant, awkward intimacy between Daniel and Felicia. "Reader's Digest" Excitingthe four year wait for this new novel promises to be well worth it. The Upcoming.com, Five books to watch out for in 2014 A stunning, understated novel that breathes with authenticitySurely a must for all the prize lists. "Bookseller" An enthralling, heart-wrenching novel of love, memory and devastating loss by one of the UK s most acclaimed storytellers If you only read one novel in 2014 set during WWI, this must be the one. "Absolutely West" Praise for Helen Dunmore: Dunmore captures how a single moment can change the course of a life. Gillian Flynn, "Entertainment Weekly" Dunmore s carefully observed stories demonstrate her ear for language and her eye for the telling moment. "The New York Times Book Review" Her writing is both elegant and revealing. "The Seattle Times" Dunmore s rich writing [is] by turns muscular and poetic. "The Washington Post" When reading Dunmore, there is always the consolation of being with a fine mind. "The Houston Chronicle""