Mrs Gulliver
'Irresistible - a funny, sexy romp that's also smart, even wise' Kirkus starred review
' Pure elegance, subtlety and wit. A triumph of a novel' - Francesca Segal, author of Mother Ship
It is 1954, and prostitution is legal in the tropical haven that is Verona Island. Here, among gangsters and corrupt lawmen, Lila Gulliver runs a brothel that promises her exclusive clientele privacy and discretion. When nineteen-year-old Carita, beautiful and blind since birth, comes to her door seeking employment, Mrs Gulliver sees a business opportunity and takes a chance. Carita is mesmerising, sharp and a mystery to her employer, always holding herself at a distance.
One night, the son of a wealthy judge patronises Mrs Gulliver's establishment, immediately falling madly in love with Carita. This is Ian Drohan - young, idealistic and cushioned by wealth and family connections. Mrs Gulliver mistrusts him, and worries for Carita's future. Carita, on the other hand, is fearless, headstrong and a force of nature that Mrs Gulliver is always several steps behind.
A dazzling drama filled with sex, wry wit and literary references, Mrs Gulliver follows two women who have nothing to lose in their fight for agency on an island too ready to dismiss them.
Valerie Martin is the author of eleven novels, including I Give It To You, Italian Fever and Property, which won the Women's Prize for Fiction. She has also written three collections of short fiction and Salvation, a biography of Saint Francis of Assisi. She has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, as well as the Kafka Prize for Mary Reilly.
Author: Valerie Martin
Format: Paperback, 304 pages, 134mm x 214mm, 320 g
Published: 2024, Profile Books Ltd, United Kingdom
Genre: General & Literary Fiction
'Irresistible - a funny, sexy romp that's also smart, even wise' Kirkus starred review
' Pure elegance, subtlety and wit. A triumph of a novel' - Francesca Segal, author of Mother Ship
It is 1954, and prostitution is legal in the tropical haven that is Verona Island. Here, among gangsters and corrupt lawmen, Lila Gulliver runs a brothel that promises her exclusive clientele privacy and discretion. When nineteen-year-old Carita, beautiful and blind since birth, comes to her door seeking employment, Mrs Gulliver sees a business opportunity and takes a chance. Carita is mesmerising, sharp and a mystery to her employer, always holding herself at a distance.
One night, the son of a wealthy judge patronises Mrs Gulliver's establishment, immediately falling madly in love with Carita. This is Ian Drohan - young, idealistic and cushioned by wealth and family connections. Mrs Gulliver mistrusts him, and worries for Carita's future. Carita, on the other hand, is fearless, headstrong and a force of nature that Mrs Gulliver is always several steps behind.
A dazzling drama filled with sex, wry wit and literary references, Mrs Gulliver follows two women who have nothing to lose in their fight for agency on an island too ready to dismiss them.
Valerie Martin is the author of eleven novels, including I Give It To You, Italian Fever and Property, which won the Women's Prize for Fiction. She has also written three collections of short fiction and Salvation, a biography of Saint Francis of Assisi. She has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, as well as the Kafka Prize for Mary Reilly.