Lydia's Party (Thorndike Press Large Print Core) - Tapa dura

Praise for "Lydia's Party "by Margaret Hawkins:
"A tender and clear-eyed look at the tangles in women's lives."
--"Good Housekeeping" (A New Book Pick)
"This book feels like what lifelong friendships really are."
--Minneapolis "Star Tribune"
"With shades of "Mrs. Dalloway, " much of the novel takes place in a day, as Lydia prepares for her annual winter party. . . . Hawkins's novel is beautiful . . . and the plot takes a number of unexpected, hugely enjoyable turns. It is this kind of book: the kind one buys extra copies of to pass out to friends."
--"Kirkus Reviews "(Starred Review)
"Plot is one of the great strengths of the book, beyond the expert characterization of these women. The story takes several entirely unpredictable and yet satisfying turns. . . . [A] lovely life-affirming tale, making this meditation on mortality and friendship a pure delight for readers."
--Bookreporter.com
"Hawkins's smart, crackling novel is a snowy, midwestern "Mrs. Dalloway," with Elizabeth Berg-ish charm and Hawkins's own edgy, artfully particularized humor. . . . As Lydia and her circle pull together in her time of need, Hawkins considers the profound gift of friendship and the ways art and life converge to forge meaning and preserve truth and memories."
--"Booklist "
"Sumptuous . . . a repast that's alternately uncomfortable and soothing, weepy and jubilant, evocative and realistic. Party host and art teacher Lydia is having her annual dinner for her women friends. . . . In a quirky, impossibly magical and sweetly charming twist, Lydia helps guide them all to forgiveness."
--"Publishers Weekly"
"Hawkins's protagonists are well drawn and interesting."
--"Library Journal"
"Like Carol Shields's "Larry's Party," a completely winning book about friendship, an elusive and almost never written about subject, which makes this a rare achievement."
--Diane Johnson, author of "Le Divorce "and "Fly

An annual midwinter party for seven friends becomes the scene of a shattering announcement and the respective experiences that shaped and tested their bonds in unexpected ways. By the author of A Year of Cats and Dogs. (general fiction).