|
|
An exclusive Authorlink AUDIO interview with Douglas Kennedy Internationally bestselling author, discussing his latest novel Five Days May 2013 Authorlink Edition Douglas Kennedy Play 25-minute audio interview “With FIVE DAYS, Douglas Kennedy has crafted a brilliant meditation on regret, fidelity, family, and second chances that will have you breathlessly turning pages to find out what happened in the past and what will happen next. At once heartbreaking and hopeful, it is a powerful new work of fiction by an internationally acclaimed writer at the height of his powers.” —Will Schwalbe, author of THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB That our lives can change in an instant and that our happiness is ultimately our own responsibility are just two of the themes that internationally bestselling author Douglas Kennedy explores in his latest novel, FIVE DAYS (Atria Books 2013). The story of a chance meeting between two people and how it changes their lives forever, FIVE DAYS vividly showcases Kennedy’s heartfelt and fallible characters in a story readers will all too deeply understand. In this AUDIO interview, the very private Kennedy talks with Authorlink about his newest novel, the writing life, and the ways in which the book compels the reader to examine his or her own life. Douglas Kennedy is a writer who has his finger on the pulse of society. He is also a writer with talent for illuminating the more personal and intimate issues in life—issues that, no matter who we are and what we’ve accomplished, have undoubtedly affected us at some point or another. FIVE DAYS is a moving novel that reaffirms the faith we have in romance, but dually asks a fundamental question: If we had the chance to start over, in love or in life, would we take it? Forty-two-year-old Laura spends her days looking at other people’s potential calamities. She works in the radiography unit of a small hospital on the Maine coast, scanning and x-raying frightened patients. In a job where finding nothing is always the best result, she is well versed in the random unfairness of life, a revelation that has started to affect her personally. Her husband Dan has become a stranger since losing his job eighteen months ago and she feels the distance is only growing between them. Her son, a promising artist, is in college, and her vivacious seventeen-year old daughter is set to leave home within the year. Laura begins to wonder if her impending empty nest will only deepen the disconnected state of her marriage. So when the opportunity arises for her to spend the weekend at a radiography conference in Boston, Laura jumps at the chance. She’ll be on her own for 72 hours for the first time since her children were born—and she revels in her temporary escape. While waiting to check-in, she meets a man as grey and uninspired as the hotel where’s she’s staying. As they spend more time together over the weekend, Laura and Richard find themselves entranced by their common love of language and their ability to deeply connect on a personal and passionate level. And in less than twenty-four hours, both of their lives have irrevocably changed. But change is one of the most emotionally fraught words in the English language. Do Laura and Richard have the courage to take the risk of radically altering their lives for another chance at love? In the tradition of Lionel Shriver, Richard Russo, and Jodi Picoult, FIVE DAYS is a bittersweet tale of true love, regret, and the hope for a second chance at forever. Douglas Kennedy is a powerful voice in contemporary literature, and his latest novel will leave readers lying in wait for his next literary endeavor. Douglas Kennedy is the author of ten previous novels, including the international bestseller The Moment. His work has been translated into twenty-two languages, and in 2007 he received the French decoration of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Find out more at www.DouglasKennedyNovelist.com or on Facebook. Praise for Douglas Kennedy “Kennedy is a master storyteller, who never fails to keep you gripped until the last page.” —Sarah Dunant, New York Times bestselling author of Sacred Hearts “Readers who enjoy well-written mainstream works like those of Richard Yates, Richard Russo, Jodi Picoult, and Jane Smiley will be happy to add Kennedy to their list of favorites.” —Library Journal “In his fast-paced, engrossing novels Douglas Kennedy always has his brilliant finger on the entertaining parts of human sorrow, fury, and narrow escapes.” —Lorrie Moore, New York Times bestselling author of A Gate at the Stairs “Kennedy cannot help but write grippingly.” —Observer (London) “Kennedy’s books are scrumptious page-turners but with more fiber and better writing than your typical late-night read; buy accordingly.” —Library Journal –Doris Booth |
