God on the Rocks
Synopsis
During one glorious summer between the wars the realities of life and the sexual ritual dance of the adult world creep into the life of young Margaret Marsh. Her father, preaching the doctrine of the unsavoury Primal Saints; her mother, bitterly nostalgic for what might have been; Charles and Binkie, anchored in the past and a game of words; dying Mrs Frayling and Lydia the maid, given to the vulgar enjoyment of life; all contribute to Margaret’s shattering moment of truth. And when the storm breaks, it is only God who is on the rocks as the summer hurtles towards drama, tragedy and a touch of farce.
Author Biography
Jane Gardam was born in Coatham, North Yorkshire in July 1928. Her first book for adults, Black Faces, White Faces, a collection of short stories won the David Higham Prize for Fiction and the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize. Her first novel for adults, God on the Rocks, won the Prix Baudelaire and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Her other novels include The Queen of the Tambourine, which won the Whitbread Novel Award; Faith Fox; and The Flight of the Maidens. In 1999 she was awarded the Heywood Hill Literary Prize in recognition of a distinguished literary career. She has also written a number of children’s books including The Hollow Land; and A Few Fair Days. She is a member of PEN and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
