{"product_id":"how-it-all-began-9780143122647","title":"How It All Began","description":"\u003cb\u003eA vibrant new novel from Penelope Lively\u003c\/b\u003e--\u003cb\u003ea wry, wise story about the surprising ways lives intersect \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLook out for Penelope Lively's new book, \u003ci\u003eThe Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Charlotte Rainsford, a retired schoolteacher, is accosted by a petty thief on a London street, the consequences ripple across the lives of acquaintances and strangers alike. A marriage unravels after an illicit love affair is revealed through an errant cell phone message; a posh yet financially strapped interior designer meets a business partner who might prove too good to be true; an old-guard historian tries to recapture his youthful vigor with an ill-conceived idea for a TV miniseries; and a middle-aged central European immigrant learns to speak English and reinvents his life with the assistance of some new friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough a richly conceived and colorful cast of characters, Penelope Lively explores the powerful role of chance in people's lives and deftly illustrates how our paths can be altered irrevocably by someone we will never even meet. Brought to life in her hallmark graceful prose and full of keen insights into human nature, \u003ci\u003eHow It All Began\u003c\/i\u003e is an engaging, contemporary tale that is sure to strike a chord with her legion of loyal fans as well as new readers. A writer of rare wisdom, elegance, and humor, Lively is a consummate storyteller whose gifts are on full display in this masterful work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Penguin Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/27\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780143122647\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.40lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.70h x 5.10w x 0.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/16\/2012 pg. 32\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Penelope Lively","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43096029462709,"sku":"9780143122647","price":19.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_6d2782a3-8c2c-4c1c-853f-c9d98ce90f9f.jpg?v=1692801080","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/how-it-all-began-9780143122647","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}