Miss Jane
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Miss Jane
Miss Jane
From the acclaimed author of Last Days of the Dog-Men and The Heaven of Mercury, the tale of a forgotten womanβs life of quiet nobility and dignity lived against the background of the twentieth century.
From the acclaimed author of Last Days of the Dog-Men and The Heaven of Mercury, the tale of a forgotten woman's life of quiet nobility and dignity lived against the background of the American century. Now part of the Picador Collection
'As unexpectedly beguiling as it is affecting' Daily Mail
Since his award-winning debut collection of stories, Last Days of the Dog-Men, Brad Watson's work has been as melancholy, witty, strange, and lovely as any in America. Inspired by the true story of his own great-aunt, he explores the life of Miss Jane Chisolm, born in rural, early-twentieth-century Mississippi with a genital birth defect that would stand in the way of the central "uses" for a woman in that time and placeβnamely, sex and marriage.
From the country doctor who adopts Jane to the hard tactile labor of farm life, from the sensual and erotic world of nature around her to the boy who loved but was forced to leave her, the world of Miss Jane Chisolm is anything but barren. Free to satisfy only herself, she mesmerizes those around her, exerting an unearthly fascination that lives beyond her still.
'Watson's talent is singular, truly awesome; he reminds me of Raymond Carver, Flannery O'Connor, Chris Offutt in his bravery, his unflinching willingness to look at what might set others running' A.M. Homes
'Superb . . . Watson . . . has a great heart, and this great heart has made him a great writer' Independent
Part of the Picador Collection, a series celebrating fifty years of Picador books and showcasing the best of modern literature.
Series: Picador Collection
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INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781035061747
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 06 November 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Picador
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 19.0mm
Width: 133.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 204g
Pages: 288
About the Author
Brad Watson was the author of two critically acclaimed novels, The Heaven of Mercury and Miss Jane, and two collections of stories, Last Days of the Dog-Men and Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives. His work has been recognized by the short list and long list of the National Book Award, the International Dublin Literary Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Great Lakes New Writers Award, the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award in Fiction (twice), the Southern Book Critics Circle Award in Fiction, a National Endowment of the Arts Grant in Fiction, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Harper Lee Award, and the Award in Letters granted by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He taught creative writing at Harvard University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Wyoming, Laramie.
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