Magnified World

Magnified World

by Grace O'connell

Random House Of Canada | May 29, 2012 | Trade Paperback

Based on 10 ratings | Rate this | 2 reviews

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A beautiful New Face of Fiction debut from a stunningly gifted young novelist about what it means to be a daughter, a patient, a lover and a human being who can carry on after a massive loss.
 
What''s a girl supposed to do after her mother kills herself by walking into the Don River with her pockets full of unpolished zircon stones? Maggie removes the zircon stones from the inventory of the family''s New Age shop and opens up for another day of business. Then her blackouts begin, as do the visits from a mysterious customer who offers help for Maggie''s blackouts and her project of investigating her mother''s past in the American South. Is Maggie breaking down in the way her mother did, or is her "madness" a distinctive show of grief? Nobody really knows, not her father, her boyfriend or her psychiatrist, and especially not Maggie, who has to make some crazy decisions in order to work to feel sane again. A vivid look at the various confusions that can set in after a trauma and an insightful, gently funny portrait of a woman in her early twenties, especially relatable to readers who grew up in the eighties and nineties, Magnified World dramatizes the battle between the head and the heart and the limitations of both in unlocking something as complicated as loss.

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– More About This Product –

Magnified World

Magnified World

by Grace O'connell

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From the Publisher

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A beautiful New Face of Fiction debut from a stunningly gifted young novelist about what it means to be a daughter, a patient, a lover and a human being who can carry on after a massive loss.
 
What''s a girl supposed to do after her mother kills herself by walking into the Don River with her pockets full of unpolished zircon stones? Maggie removes the zircon stones from the inventory of the family''s New Age shop and opens up for another day of business. Then her blackouts begin, as do the visits from a mysterious customer who offers help for Maggie''s blackouts and her project of investigating her mother''s past in the American South. Is Maggie breaking down in the way her mother did, or is her "madness" a distinctive show of grief? Nobody really knows, not her father, her boyfriend or her psychiatrist, and especially not Maggie, who has to make some crazy decisions in order to work to feel sane again. A vivid look at the various confusions that can set in after a trauma and an insightful, gently funny portrait of a woman in her early twenties, especially relatable to readers who grew up in the eighties and nineties, Magnified World dramatizes the battle between the head and the heart and the limitations of both in unlocking something as complicated as loss.

Format: Trade Paperback

Dimensions: 352 Pages, 5.12 × 7.87 × 0.79 in

Published: May 29, 2012

Publisher: Random House Of Canada

Language: English

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:

ISBN - 10: 0307360377

ISBN - 13: 9780307360373

From the Critics

“A poignant exploration of love, grief and lucidity.” —CBC Books   “An accomplished, decidedly quirky debut novel.” — Toronto Star   “Seduces immediately by force of storytelling. . . . O’Connell is spot-on about the isolating nature of grief. . . . The story’s real weight, its heart’s heft, comes with a closing sleight-of hand. In retrospect, it connects with a wallop.” — The Globe and Mail   “A poignant, affecting first novel. . . . The greatest strength of Magnified World lies . . . in moments of quiet yet piercing insight into the pain of losing a loved one.” — Toronto Star   “[O’Connell] possesses a magical, almost fanciful, and rich imagination.” —Canada.com   “Powerful and haunting, Magnified World exists in a realm of its own. I greatly anticipate the future career of Grace O’Connell.” — Indigo Fiction Blog   “A very excellent book.” — This Magazine   “There is magic in Magnified World .” — January Magazine     “Part of Random House’s well-curated New Face of Fiction series. . . . O’Connell deserves marks for a bold approach to her subject—grieving is indeed a surreal, nonlinear process impossible to prepare for.” — National Post   “She’s a beautiful writer. Line by line, her prose is sensate and
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About the Author

Grace O''Connell holds an MFA in Creative Writing. Her work has appeared in various publications including The Walrus, Taddle Creek, Quill & Quire and EYE Weekly. She has taught creative writing at George Brown College and now works as a freelance writer and editor in Toronto.
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