The Empress of One
by Faith Sullivan
The Empress of One brings back many characters from The Cape Ann
in its story of Sally Wheeler and her mother, Stella. Growing up a
creative child in a restrictive environment, Sally must cope with her
mother's increasing estrangement from her family as Stella falls into
the depths of unremitting depression. At a time when mental illness was
hushed up and misunderstood, the close-knit town turns colder and more
judgmental as Stella's erratic behavior grows more severe. It is only
Sally's talent and ambition as an actress and playwright that allow her
to find release in worlds of her own creation, worlds where she is
always an “empress of one.”
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Faith Sullivan
Author's Bio:Faith Sullivan was born and raised in southern Minnesota. Married to
drama critic Dan Sullivan, she lived twenty-some years in New York and
Los Angeles, returning to Minnesota often to keep her roots planted in
the prairie. She is the author of four previous novels including The Cape Ann (Crown, 1988). Her more recent publications with Milkweed areWhat a Woman Must Do (2002) and Gardenias
(2005). A "demon gardener, flea marketer, and feeder of birds,"
Sullivan lives in Minneapolis with her husband. They have three grown
children.
Awards:Milkweed National Fiction Prize: 1996
Quotes:“Sullivan's
precise yet charming style captures an era long over; her book will
strike familiar chords with readers everywhere, especially those with
ties to the Midwest.”—Reading Woman
“Sally Wheeler is a beautiful child of a beautiful mother and is
envied because, in 1935, her father has a steady job. Unfortunately,
all is not as it seems. Sally's beautiful mother is on the verge of
mental disintegration. . . . Sullivan has an unerring ability to capture
the inner world of her characters whether they are 7 or 70.”—Rocky
Mountain News
“A
perceptive and refreshingly unsensational account . . . of a child's
determination to claim and affirm life.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Sullivan
interweaves period details with skill. . . . [The Empress of One] acquires
texture and depth and leaves the reader hoping that Sally's story will
be continued in further books.”—Publishers Weekly
“Sullivan shows immense
sympathy for her characters. . . . I read it all in one sitting.”—Los
Angeles Times Book Review, Reading L.A.
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