Why read on Fable?
Publisher Description
“Hieroglyphics is a novel that tugs at the deepest places of the human soul—a beautiful, heart-piercing meditation on life and death and the marks we leave on this world. It is the work of a wonderful writer at her finest and most profound.”
—Jessica Shattuck, author of The Women in the Castle
After many years in Boston, Lil and Frank have retired to North Carolina. The two of them married young, having bonded over how they both—suddenly, tragically—lost a parent when they were children. Now, Lil has become determined to leave a history for their own kids. She sifts through letters and notes and diary entries, uncovering old stories—and perhaps revealing more secrets than Frank wants their children to know.
Meanwhile, Frank has become obsessed with the house he lived in as a boy on the outskirts of town, where a young single mother, Shelley, is now raising her son. For Shelley, Frank’s repeated visits begin to trigger memories of her own family, memories that she’d hoped to keep buried. Because, after all, not all parents are ones you wish to remember.
Empathetic and profound, this novel from master storyteller Jill McCorkle deconstructs and reconstructs what it means to be a father or a mother, and to be a child trying to know your parents—a child learning to make sense of the hieroglyphics of history and memory.
—Jessica Shattuck, author of The Women in the Castle
After many years in Boston, Lil and Frank have retired to North Carolina. The two of them married young, having bonded over how they both—suddenly, tragically—lost a parent when they were children. Now, Lil has become determined to leave a history for their own kids. She sifts through letters and notes and diary entries, uncovering old stories—and perhaps revealing more secrets than Frank wants their children to know.
Meanwhile, Frank has become obsessed with the house he lived in as a boy on the outskirts of town, where a young single mother, Shelley, is now raising her son. For Shelley, Frank’s repeated visits begin to trigger memories of her own family, memories that she’d hoped to keep buried. Because, after all, not all parents are ones you wish to remember.
Empathetic and profound, this novel from master storyteller Jill McCorkle deconstructs and reconstructs what it means to be a father or a mother, and to be a child trying to know your parents—a child learning to make sense of the hieroglyphics of history and memory.
14 Reviews
3.5
anna
Created about 1 year agoShare
Report
“beautiful. heartbreaking. and so, so relatable.”
Bettie
Created about 1 year agoShare
Report
Jeanette Frantal
Created over 1 year agoShare
Report
Nicole Reyes
Created about 2 years agoShare
Report
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a tough read for me. I listened partially to the audio, but I believe it’s one that needs to be physically read to fully digest.
Hieroglyphics journeys through four main characters: Frank and Lil, husband and wife, and Shelley and Harvey, mother and son. Frank and Lil are retired and are on their own ways to finish their life stories. Lil uncovers some secrets while trying to develop a history for her children, secrets Frank may have wanted to stay hidden. Frank connects with Shelley, as she lives in his childhood home. His multiple visits trigger some painful memories for Shelley, ones she also didn’t want to remember. This story brings up the rough connections some family histories have and how younger generations use the information. It also covers the loss and grief that accompanies some memories, especially ones that can cut a family to its core.
Overall, I give this book 4 stars out of 5. I cried at the end..I felt so sad for Shelley and her kids. My only issue was the frequent POV changes, as it was hard for me to keep track of certain stories.
Thank you to @algonquinbooks and @jill.mccorkle for a gifted copy of this novel!”
Laziest Bones
Created about 2 years agoShare
Report
About Jill McCorkle
One of the first authors ever published by Algonquin, Jill McCorkle’s first two novels were released simultaneously when she was in her early 20s. Since then, she has published six novels and four collections of short stories. Five of her books have been NYT Notable books and Life After Life was a NYT bestseller. She has received the John Dos Passos Prize for Excellence in Literature and the North Carolina Award for Literature. Her stories have been included in Best American Short Stories and the Norton Anthology of Short Fiction.
Other books by Jill McCorkle
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
Similar Books
Save to a list
0
/30
0
/100
Private List