num_pages: 96
description: "Susanna Moore's novel astonished me--one of those brilliant objects that come along only rarely, all light on clear water, and then one realizes the faster currents underneath, the terrible swiftness of sex and time. "--Joan DidionIn this mesmerizing novel, Susanna Moore displays a naturalist's eye for the landscape of her native Hawaii and an uncanny sensitivity to the despairing love between mothers and daughters. Lily Shields grows up amid the fragrance of night-jasmine and burning sugar cane, and the heady atmosphere of her mother's madness. For if Anna Shields is an island unto herself--fragile, glamorous, and fearfully needy--Lily is the bridge that connects her to reality.But now Lily is a young woman and a mother herself, self-exiled from Hawaii but still attached to Anna's tragedy. And as she tries to untangle those threads of love and loyalty, Moore gives us a novel of shimmering beauty and sadness. My Old Sweetheart is a small classic, perfectly formed and mysteriously wise."Susanna Moore is a gifted and compelling novelist . . .  in possession of her own unique voice."--The New York Times Book Review"I can't recall another novel like this about mothers and daughters. . . . Lily's mysterious, half-told tale delighted and touched me."--Susan Lydon, Village Voice
language: English
title: My Old Sweetheart
titlecomplete: My Old Sweetheart (Contemporary American Fiction)
genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Female Authors
ratings_count: 206
places: Hawaii
awards: awardedAt: 410256000000
name: Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction, awardedAt: 410256000000
name: National Book Award Finalist
category: First Novel
publisher: Penguin Books