The Life and Death of Sophie Stark

Praise

Praise for THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SOPHIE STARK

“I read The Life and Death of Sophie Stark with my heart in my mouth. Not only a dissection of genius and the havoc it can wreak, but also a thunderously good story.” –Emma Donoghue

“Anna North is a natural, butter-smooth storyteller, and The Life and Death of Sophie Stark is an elegant, kaleidoscopic look at a challenging artist and at the way our lives are, in some respects, only silhouettes made from the perceptions of those who know us.” –Maggie Shipstead, author of Seating Arrangements

“Anna North’s first novel, America Pacifica, was superb, and The Life and Death of Sophie Stark, her second, is even better: skillfully designed and deeply felt, of course, but also wholly and mysteriously alive, in a way that many books simply aren’t. It explores the way people can be startled and changed—and frequently damaged and betrayed—by a confrontation with art, and proceeds in a round-robin of voices, each entirely natural, entirely human, yet filled with vibrancy and intimacy.” –Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead and The Illumination

“Provocative and deeply compelling, The Life and Death of Sophie Stark is an incisive exploration of artistic integrity and ambition—and a haunting meditation on what it means to truly know another person.” –Jennifer Dubois, author of Cartwheel and A Partial History of Lost Causes

“The Life and Death of Sophie Stark succeeds wildly at the almost impossible task of making an artist and her art come alive on the page. Anna North captures with fierce clarity the compulsions and ecstasies of creation, the spooky force it exerts on those drawn into a maker’s vision. Whether art is a gift or a curse is unflinchingly explored in this tight, suspenseful, and deeply empathic novel.” –Pamela Erens, author of The Understory and The Virgins