Publisher Description
Two imposing literary figures are at the center of this captivating novel: Shirley Jackson, best known for her short story 'The Lottery,' and her husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman, a literary critic and professor at Bennington College. When a young graduate student and his pregnant wife - Fred and Rose Nemser - move into Shirley and Stanley's home in the fall of 1964, they are quickly cast under the magnetic spell of their brilliant hosts. While Fred becomes preoccupied with his teaching schedule, Rose forms an unlikely, turbulent friendship with the troubled and unpredictable Shirley. Fascinated by the Hyman's volatile marriage and inexplicable drawn to the darkly enigmatic author, Rose nevertheless senses something amiss - something to do with nightly unanswered phone calls and inscrutable accounts of a long-missing female student.
Download and start listening now!
About Susan Scarf Merrell
Susan Scarf Merrell is the author of two novels, A Member of the Family and Shirley, and a nonfiction work, The Accidental Bond: How Sibling Connections Influence Adult Relationships. She teaches in the MFA in creative writing and literature at Stony Brook Southampton and is Fiction Editor of TSR: The Southampton Review.
About Lesa Lockford
Lesa Lockford is a professor in the department of theater and film at Bowling Green State University. She teaches courses in voice for the actor, dialects, acting, and performance studies. She is also a writer and performer. Before becoming a teacher, she was a professional actor in Great Britain where she appeared in a variety of roles in television, film, and on the stage. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.