He lives with his wife and twin children in new jersey. A quotation from king lear prefaces matthew thomas s long and ambitious first novel, and also gives the book its title. Matthew thomas will present his extraordinary debut novel we are not ourselves. Eileen cant help but dream of a calmer life, in a better neighborhood. If youre a big reader and frequent a lot of bookish sites, you may not have been able to avoid hearing about one of the buzziest books this year matthew thomas s debut novel, we are not ourselves. In this masterful debut, matthew thomas paints a sprawling, profoundly sympathetic portrait of a family coping with slowburning tragedy. Through the lives of these characters, thomas charts the story of the american century.
Matthew thomas s new york timesbestselling novel we are not ourselves was shortlisted for the james tait black prize, the center for fiction first novel prize, and the john gardner fiction book award. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading we are not ourselves. We are not ourselves book by matthew thomas official. This question is one that many in the media, bloggers included, have started asking recently. A reward he won after spending a decade of his life writing we are not ourselves, his first novel, which tells the. We are not ourselves took 10 years to write, and justifies every one of them.
We are not ourselves large print charlotte mecklenburg. In we are not ourselves, matthew thomas has written a masterwork on both, as well as an anatomy of the american middle class in the twentieth century. We are not ourselves, by matthew thomas the new york times. This is epic in scope, but as intricate and precise in its execution as a complicated mathematical equation. Born in 1941, eileen tumulty is raised by her irish immigrant parents in woodside, queens, in an apartment where the mood swings between heartbreak and hilarity, depending on whether guests are over and how much. Matthew thomas s devastating debut novel, we are not ourselves, does not trumpet the fact that its an honest, intimate family story with the power to rock you to your core. We are not ourselves is a powerfully moving book, and the figure of eileen learymother, wife, daughter, lover, nurse, caretaker, whiskey drinker, upwardly mobile dreamer, retrenched protector of valuesis a real addition to our literature. We are not ourselves is a subtle book in the beginningand then it smacks you in the face with emotion. Patricks day with a reading and discussion of his new york times bestselling book. Born in 1941, eileen tumulty is raised by her irish immigrant parents in woodside, queens, in an apartment where the. The author supposedly received a huge advance and the book has garnered raves from many publications, including the new york times and publishers weekly. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. An american story of the faults of our parents, the imprinted desires of moving out, moving up. Matthew thomas reads from his debut novel, we are not ourselves, a sprawling, decadeslong arc of a marriage and history of a family following the american dream.
Please take a moment to update your preferences so that we can send the. Chad harbach, author of the art of fielding the mind is a mystery no less than the heart. And thomas does it with the epic sweep and small pleasures of the very best fiction. We are not ourselves kindle edition by thomas, matthew. The washington post, best books 2017 reminiscent of both colm toibins brooklyn and matthew thomas s we are not ourselves, this enveloping novel follows a fraught irish family through unimaginable trials. Last year, the book made it onto multiple yearend lists, including the new york timess list of notable books for 2015. New york times 100 notable books of 2014 washington post top 50 fiction list for 2014 entertainment weekly ten best fiction books of 2014 esquire 5 most important books of 2014 publishers weekly best books of 2014 one of janet maslins ten favorite books of the year in the new york times the instant new york times bestseller the. We are not ourselves book tulsa citycounty library. Matthew thomas was born and raised in new york city. Harvard book store and grubstreet welcome author matthew thomas for a reading from his multigenerational debut novel of an irishamerican family, we are not ourselves. We are not ourselves by matthew thomas is a novel that starts off with a bang the murder of a frog and a father abusing his son for it.
Raised by her irish immigrant parents in a 1940s queens apartment where alcohol and company combine in mercurial ways, eileen marries an unambitious scientist with whom she endures an increasingly psychologically dark family life. When matthew thomas sold we are not ourselves for publication, it was major industry news. Novembers title is we are not ourselves by matthew thomas. The opening scene was something this reader wants to know more about who the boy and the father are, for example. Francis college march 9, 2015 to help celebrate st. A new york times bestsellerborn in 1941, eileen tumulty is raised by irish immigrant parents in queens, in an apartment where the mood swings between heartbreak and hilarity, depending on whether guests are over and how much alcohol has been consumed. Born in 1941, eileen tumulty is raised by her irish immigrant parents in woodside, queens, in an apartment where the mood swings between heartbreak and hilarity, depending on whether guests are over and how much alcohol has been consumed. We are not ourselves book santa monica public library.
We are not ourselves book pima county public library. We are not ourselves is a powerfully moving book, and the figure of eileen leary mother, wife, daughter, lover, nurse, caretaker, whiskey drinker, upwardly mobile dreamer, retrenched protector of values is a real addition to our literature. His novel we are not ourselves was shortlisted for the flahertydunnan first novel prize, longlisted for both the guardian first book award and the folio prize, and named a new york times notable book. It tracks the life of a girl, eileen tumulty, growing up in an irish family in new york and her subsequent adult married life. We are not ourselves is a grand testament to our deepest hopes and most human frailties. Matthew thomas will present his debut novel we are not. Go on a virtual walking tour of queens, new york, by clicking here, to learn more about the neighborhoods where eileen grows up and where she raises connell. Helen dunmore, guardian matthew thomas s ambitious first novel presents the life of one woman from cradle to late middleage, and the changing backdrop of new york. Please contact mary ellen if you would like a copy of the book.
This mammoth novel is matthew thomas s first, and like many of its kind, its a family saga that packs in as much as. We are not ourselves by matthew thomas january 1, 2017 when it started getting cold this fall, i found a book with a slightly warped cover and missing its jacket while digging through a. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Reading guide for we are not ourselves by matthew thomas discussion guide for book clubs. Although matthew thomas s we are not ourselves tells the story of three generations of an irishamerican family, the action is seen mainly from eileens. Upcoming books are distributed monthly at the discussion. Simon and schusternew york times 100 notable books of 2014 washington post top 50.
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