'Sexy, absorbing and insightful ... a great read' PEOPLE

Every woman holds the power to enchant or to destroy. In New Orleans, three women from completely different backgrounds face a turning point in their lives. Ellen, a vet at a New Orleans zoo, is trying to contain an infectious disease that threatens the zoo's animals. At the same time, she must come to terms with her crumbling marriage. Alongside her works Camille, an enigmatic and disturbed young woman whose terrifying fantasies threaten to overwhelm her. Finally there is Elisabeth, 'The Catwoman of St Francisville,' who was hanged in 1845 for murdering her bullying husband in horrific circumstances.

In a compelling tale that bristles with energy and a sense of foreboding, their stories converge to reveal the secrets behind the 'untamed' aspects of human nature.

From the Orange Prize-winning author of PROPERTY, with a tale of sex, betrayal and the wilder side of human nature.

About the Author

Valerie Martin is one of America's finest contemporary novelists, best known for her Orange Prize-winning PROPERTY and also the acclaimed MARY REILLY, which was filmed by Stephen Frears. Other highly praised novels include THE GHOST OF THE MARY CELESTE and MRS GULLIVER.

She is the author of three collections of short stories and SALVATION, a biography of St Francis.

www.valeriemartinonline.com

Reviews
Haunting ... An utterly compelling work of fiction * NEW YORK TIMES *
Sexy, absorbing and insightful ... a great read * PEOPLE *
Martin writes of the emotional desolation of a marriage break-up with clarity and candour. This is a powerful, challenging and draining novel * MAIL ON SUNDAY *
A subtly cadenced novel of racial and sexual transgressions -- Joyce Carol Oates
The generosity of Martin's understanding opens every character to the full, astounding range of human possibility. Her revelations build mesmerizing excitement, a surprising kindness, and an unexpected sanity in the darkness * WASHINGTON POST *
The Great Divorce is the kind of fiction that can briefly refocus and broaden the scope of what we notice about the world * LA TIMES *
The Great Divorce is at turns eerie, disturbing, painful and passionate, all the while honest and compelling ... It is perhaps Martin's most provocative and resonant work * SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE *
Enthralling * BOSTON GLOBE *
Martin writes of the emotional desolation of a marriage break-up with clarity and candour. This is a powerful, challenging and draining novel. -- Simon Shaw * MAIL ON SUNDAY (3.10.04) *



Book Information
ISBN 9780753820247
Author Valerie Martin
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 288g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 159mm * 24mm