Pack of Cards

Book excerpt: An “abundantly rich collection” of short stories by the Man Booker Prize–winning author (The New York Times Book Review). In Pack of Cards, Penelope Lively shares moments in the everyday world that are not always open to observation, as she delves into the minutiae of her characters’ lives. Whether she writes about a widow on a visit to Russia, a small boy’s consignment to boarding school, or an agoraphobic housewife, Lively takes the reader behind a closed curtain, through the locked door, and into a world that seems at first mundane—then proves to be uniquely memorable. “Witty, profoundly civilized . . . This captivatingly intelligent collection confirms Lively’s place as one of Britain’s most imaginative and important contemporary writers.” —Library Journal