A Woman on the Edge of Time

Reviews

“Beautifully written—wholly unique…It is difficult not to rush through Jeremy Gavron’s compelling story which would translate brilliantly into cinematic form.”

“Jeremy Gavron’s quest to find his mother has produced a groundbreaking book and moving portrait of a spirited young woman—a ‘captive wife’—who refused to accept the social constraints of her time. Unforgettable.”

“In this moving memoir, a British nonfiction author and novelist explores the ways in which suicide dramatically affects those left behind…As the author interviews Hannah’s classmates, friends, and family members, and studies old diaries, films, and letters, his writing poignantly touches the enigmatic interior life of a mother ‘forever out of reach.’”

“This volume succeeds as both a poignant memoir and a well-researched and -constructed investigation of a life ended too soon.”

“[Gavron’s] careful work conjures not only one remarkable woman but also a snapshot of the fractured lives of women in general during the rapidly warping 1960s, with moving and revelatory conclusions.”

“A thoughtful meditation on a ruthless, mysterious final act.”

“[Gavron’s] quest is a double quest: to find out what his mother was like in life and to find out why she killed herself…The tenacity with which Jeremy pursues this goal is extraordinary…The taboo of silence that shrouded Jeremy’s childhood is broken. Those complicit with it aren’t arraigned; the tone is patient and compassionate. But Hannah steps out of the shadow, fifty years on, and the great unsaids are finally spoken.”

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