num_pages: 270
description: In this highly acclaimed novel by the author of The Emperorâ€s Children , life isnâ€t all Emmy and Virginia Simpson might have hoped. When Emmyâ€s marriage to an Australian man ends, she flees her home in Sydney for the tropical paradise of Bali to â€œfind herselfâ€â€”only to become embroiled with an eclectic crew of international misfits and smugglers. Her sister Virginia, meanwhile, has never wandered far outside of London. Prim and pious, Virginia is struggling to find meaning in her life and her aging mother thinks a visit to the Isle of Skye is just what she needs. On these two islands halfway around the world, the middle-aged sisters confront their lives and their destinies with unexpected consequences.
language: English
title: When the World Was Steady
titlecomplete: When the World Was Steady
genres: Literary Fiction, Novels, Scotland, British Literature, Fiction, Contemporary
ratings_count: 972
places: Bali, London, England
awards: awardedAt: 820483200000
name: PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
publisher: Granta Books