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Light Perpetual

'Heartbreaking . . . a boundlessly rich novel.' Telegraph
3.67 goodreads logo

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( 5,966 ratings, 1,049 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford, the story imagines the lives of five children killed in a fictional bombing during World War II and explores the possibilities of what their futures might have held if they had survived. The narrative travels through decades to create a tapestry of post-war British life, filled with hopes, dreams, and everyday realities. This historical fiction piece intertwines personal stories with broader societal changes, shedding light on life's fragility and resilience.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy reimagining history through a unique premise, where lives lost in a tragic bombing are instead followed through decades as if they had survived the war. Rich in character development and emotional depth, it explores themes of fate, resilience, and the impact of time, providing a thought-provoking reflection on the possibilities of life.

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From the best-selling, prize-winning author of Golden Hill, a novel of the everyday, the miraculous and the everlasting. Longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize.

From the best-selling, prize-winning author of Golden Hill, a novel of the everyday, the miraculous and the everlasting.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

November 1944. A German rocket strikes London and five young children are atomised in an instant.

Here are the futures they might have known, had they experienced the unimaginable changes of the twentieth century — futures that illuminate the miraculous in the everyday, and the preciousness of life itself.

‘My god he can write. One of the best opening chapters and closing chapters you'll ever read.’ - Richard Osman

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford has been praised for its imaginative narrative, blending historical fiction with a touch of speculative storytelling. Reviewers appreciate its exploration of life and potential through the lens of ordinary people influenced by a singular, tragic event. The book's writing style and character development receive commendations for their depth and emotional resonance.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571336494

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 February 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 279g

Pages: 336

About the Author

Francis Spufford is the author of five highly-praised works of non-fiction, most frequently described by reviewers as either 'bizarre' or 'brilliant', and usually as both. His debut novel Golden Hill won the Costa First Novel Award, the RSL Ondaatje Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize, and was shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, the Rathbones Folio Prize, the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award and the British Book Awards Debut Novel of the Year. In 2007 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He teaches writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London, and lives near Cambridge.

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