O'Farrell, Maggie

(British, 1972– )

O'Farrell's first novel, After You'd Gone (2000), met with rapturous reviews. Slipping between different characters, times and voices, the novel centres on Alice who is lying in a coma after a suicide attempt. Gradually the stories of Alice's passionate love for her partner John, of her mother's complicated and secretive life, and of a wider range of family and friends are revealed, through crystal-clear prose. This is a love story and a family saga (three generations of women) but the skill with which it is constructed and written gives new and startling life to these traditional subjects: feelings of love and grief are rarely so well explored.

My Lover's Lover (2002) reveals how old relationships can haunt new lovers, and The Distance Between Us (2004) focuses on parallel lives, presenting a love story about two people who have never met.

Sue Gee, Helen Garner, Anne Tyler  JR