Tenderness

“What a triumph of skill and imagination is this powerful, moving, brilliant novel! I’ve never read anything quite like Tenderness , and I doubt I ever will again. ” —Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of City of Girls and Eat, Pray, Love For readers of A Gentleman in Moscow and Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald , an ambitious, spellbinding historical novel about sensuality, censorship, and the novel that set off the sexual revolution. On the glittering shores of the Mediterranean in 1928, a dying author in exile races to complete his final novel. Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a sexually bold love story, a searing indictment of class distinctions, and a study in sensuality. But the author, D.H. Lawrence, knows it will be censored. He publishes it privately, loses his copies to customs, and dies bereft. Booker Prize-longlisted author Alison MacLeod brilliantly recreates the novel's origins and boldly imagines its journey to freedom through the story of Jackie Kennedy, who was known to be an admirer. In MacLeod's telling, Jackie—in her last days before becoming first lady—learns that publishers are trying to bring D.H. Lawrence’s long-censored novel to American and British readers in its full form. The US government has responded by targeting the postal service for distributing obscene material. Enjoying what anonymity she has left, determined to honour a novel she loves, Jackie attends the hearing incognito. But there she is quickly recognized, and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover takes note of her interest and her outrage. Through the story of Lawrence’s writing of Lady Chatterley’s Lover , the historic obscenity trial that sought to suppress it in the United Kingdom, and the men and women who fought for its worldwide publication, Alison MacLeod captures the epic sweep of the twentieth century from war and censorship to sensuality and freedom. Exquisite, evocative, and grounded in history, Tenderness is a testament to the transformative power of fiction. "From the Booker-longlisted author of Unexploded comes the story of a famed novelist living in exile and the most memorable first lady to ever enter the White House, bonded through time and space by a subversive literary masterpiece that would come to shape history... It's 1928, in the blazing heat of the Italian Riviera, and D.H. Lawrence struggles to breathe. Stricken with tuberculosis, he lives in exile from Britain after the public outrage over his salacious novel, Lady Chatterley's Lover. His memories drift back into the glittering years of the roaring 20s and to the crisp white winter of 1915 spent in the Sussex countryside. Unhappily married, he cannot shake the memory of the enigmatic woman he met that winter, on whom he would later base his most beloved protagonist, the wild and free-loving Constance Reid--the infamous Lady Chatterely herself. Thirty years later, Jackie Onassis finds herself trapped in a fraught marriage, consumed by rumours of extramarital affairs. Looking for an escape, she gets her hands on Lawrence's contraband novel. Jackie is instantly and completely enamoured by the lust-filled pages and his story of a love affair free of politics--so much so that she turns her attention away from the 1960s election and to a new cause: liberating Lawrence's still-controversial novel from the shackles of obscenity laws and bringing his radical views to the world. An evocative account of two revolutionaries worlds apart, connected in their fight for free-love, Constance pulls back the curtain and shows us the human struggle that lies beneath their celebrity status. Lawrence's path to exile and Jackie's rise to becoming the most scrutinized First Lady are interwoven to tell a story of heartbreak and redemption that moves between the 1920s and 1960s, from America to England to Italy to and back again."-- Provided by publisher For Readers Of A Gentleman In Moscow And Z: A Novel Of Zelda Fitzgerald, An Ambitious, Spellbinding Historical Novel About Sensuality, Censorship, And The Novel That Set Off The Sexual Revolution. On The Glittering Shores Of The Mediterranean In 1928, A Dying Author In Exile Races To Complete His Final Novel. Lady Chatterley's Lover Is A Sexually Bold Love Story, A Searing Indictment Of Class Distinctions, And A Study In Sensuality. But The Author, D.h. Lawrence, Knows It Will Be Censored. He Publishes It Privately, Loses His Copies To Customs, And Dies Bereft. Thirty Years Later, In Her Last Days Before Becoming First Lady, Jackie Kennedy Learns That Publishers Are Trying To Bring D.h. Lawrence's Long-censored Novel To American And British Readers In Its Full Form. The Government Has Responded By Taking The Book To Court. Determined To Enjoy The Anonymity She Has Left And To Honor A Novel She Loves, Jackie Attends The Trial. But There She Is Quickly Recognized, And Fbi Director J. Edgar Hoover Takes Note Of Her Interest And Her Outrage. Through The Story Of Lawrence's Writing Of Lady Chatterley's Lover, The Obscenity Trial That Sought To Suppress It, And The Men And Women Who Fought For Its Publication, Booker Prize-longlisted Author Alison Macleod Captures The Epic Sweep Of The Twentieth Century From War And Censorship To Sensuality And Freedom. Exquisite, Evocative, And Grounded In History, Tenderness Is A Testament To The Transformative Power Of Fiction.