Unless

"Truly, a miracle of language and perception." -- The Oregonian (Portland) "Nothing short of astonishing." -- The New Yorker "A thing of beauty-lucidly written, artfully ordered, riddled with riddles and undergirded with dark layers of philosophical meditations." -- Los Angeles Times "An engaging, memorable novel." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer "Entirely satisfying. Shields' voice, tender and moderated at all times, remains wise and very readable." -- Houston Chronicle Nothing short of astonishing. --The New Yorker "The best of her novels...fearless, smart, funny, beautifully written."--New Orleans Times-Picayune "Relentlessly fine...imagined with style and vigor, melancholoy and wisdom."--San Diego Union-Tribune "A brave, profound, and quirky novel with an undercurrent of the deeply amusing."--Anita Shreve, author of Sea Glass "Some hefty perceptions, fortunately shared with us in this fine novel."--Washington Post Book World "All the trademark Shields delights are robustly present: idiosyncratic plotting; limber prose...deep compassion...tart commentary and irreverent wit."--Orlando Sentinel "Remarkably subtle and unsettling...one of those books that make you regret that reading is a solitary pleasure."--Christian Science Monitor "Nothing short of astonishing."--The New Yorker "Shields's novels and short stories are intensely imagined, humanely generous, beautifully sustained and impeccably detailed."--Publishers Weekly "With a poet's precision, Shields dissects grief and makes coping with bad luck feel like domestic heroism."--People "Truly, a miracle of language and perception."--The Oregonian (Portland) "A raw, subtle, inspiring novel about feminism, femininity, virtue, oppression and motherhood...I was inexpressibly moved by it."--Rachel Cusk, Daily Telegraph (London) "Finely detailed, thoughtful and sometimes even humorous, this book is highly recommended for all fiction collections."--Library Journal "Her wisdom and generosity of spirit are visible at every turn."--London Times (Sunday) "All novelists worth their fictional salt can create fine characters; Carol Shields creates lives. "--New York Times Book Review "A novel of...assured intelligence and defiant vivacity."--San Francisco Chronicle "A fine book, poignant, witty, rich in character, vivid in its sense of place...surprisingly suspenseful."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch "A thing of beauty--lucidly written, artfully ordered, riddled with riddles and undergirded with dark layers of philosophical meditations."--Los Angeles Times "Closely observed moments create the kind of subtle textures and elegant prose that won Ms. Shields the Pulitzer Prize."--Richmond Times-Dispatch "When Shields is good she is very good. There are nuggets of pure gold in Unless."--Newark Star Ledger "A wonderful, powerful book, written in a style which combines simplicity and elegance. I found it deeply moving."--Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat "Luminous ... Shields is a consummate master of tone and acute psychological insight."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "A fitting farewell from an author revered for her graceful, insightful writing...sparkles with wry humor and elegant irony."--Hartford Courant "A luminous novel ...Shields writes with clarity, intelligence and generosity, finding meaning in most mundane details of home life."--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "Marvelously idiosyncratic, passionate and wise, Shields' tenth novel rollicks from beginning to end with sauciness and wit."--Book Magazine "Unless succeeds beautifully...Shields [is] an expert at illuminating the complicated dynamics of off-kilter families."--Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Often quietly heartbreaking...often, bitingly humorous."--Kirkus (starred review) "Entirely satisfying... Shields' voice, tender and moderated at all times, remains wise and very readable."--Houston Chronicle "An engaging, memorable novel."--Cleveland Plain Dealer A landmark book...yet another noteworthy addition to Shields s impressive body of work. --Publishers Weekly (starred review)" A brave, profound, and quirky novel with an undercurrent of the deeply amusing. --Anita Shreve, author of Sea Glass" A wonderful, powerful book, written in a style which combines simplicity and elegance. I found it deeply moving. --Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat" Finely detailed, thoughtful and sometimes even humorous, this book is highly recommended for all fiction collections. --Library Journal" Often quietly heartbreaking...often, bitingly humorous. --Kirkus (starred review)" Marvelously idiosyncratic, passionate and wise, Shields tenth novel rollicks from beginning to end with sauciness and wit. --Book Magazine" A thing of beautylucidly written, artfully ordered, riddled with riddles and undergirded with dark layers of philosophical meditations. --Los Angeles Times" With a poet s precision, Shields dissects grief and makes coping with bad luck feel like domestic heroism. --People" Some hefty perceptions, fortunately shared with us in this fine novel. --Washington Post Book World" The best of her novels...fearless, smart, funny, beautifully written. --New Orleans Times-Picayune" A fine book, poignant, witty, rich in character, vivid in its sense of place...surprisingly suspenseful. --St. Louis Post-Dispatch" Remarkably subtle and unsettling...one of those books that make you regret that reading is a solitary pleasure. --Christian Science Monitor" Luminous ... Shields is a consummate master of tone and acute psychological insight. --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" A luminous novel ...Shields writes with clarity, intelligence and generosity, finding meaning in most mundane details of home life. --Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" A novel of...assured intelligence and defiant vivacity. --San Francisco Chronicle" When Shields is good she is very good. There are nuggets of pure gold in Unless. --Newark Star Ledger" An engaging, memorable novel. --Cleveland Plain Dealer" Relentlessly fine...imagined with style and vigor, melancholoy and wisdom. --San Diego Union-Tribune" Closely observed moments create the kind of subtle textures and elegant prose that won Ms. Shields the Pulitzer Prize. --Richmond Times-Dispatch" Unless succeeds beautifully...Shields [is] an expert at illuminating the complicated dynamics of off-kilter families. --Atlanta Journal-Constitution" A fitting farewell from an author revered for her graceful, insightful writing...sparkles with wry humor and elegant irony. --Hartford Courant" Truly, a miracle of language and perception. --The Oregonian (Portland)" All the trademark Shields delights are robustly present: idiosyncratic plotting; limber prose...deep compassion...tart commentary and irreverent wit. --Orlando Sentinel" Entirely satisfying Shields voice, tender and moderated at all times, remains wise and very readable. --Houston Chronicle" Shields s novels and short stories are intensely imagined, humanely generous, beautifully sustained and impeccably detailed. --Publishers Weekly" Nothing short of astonishing. --The New Yorker" All novelists worth their fictional salt can create fine characters; Carol Shields creates lives. --New York Times Book Review" A raw, subtle, inspiring novel about feminism, femininity, virtue, oppression and motherhood...I was inexpressibly moved by it. --Rachel Cusk, Daily Telegraph (London)" Her wisdom and generosity of spirit are visible at every turn. --London Times (Sunday)" A thing of beauty lucidly written, artfully ordered, riddled with riddles and undergirded with dark layers of philosophical meditations. --Los Angeles Times" A superb new novel...a graceful coda, an arabesque performed over an abyss. --Time Magazine" "A superb new novel...a graceful coda, an arabesque performed over an abyss."--Time Magazine "A landmark book...yet another noteworthy addition to Shields's impressive body of work."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)