THE PETTY DETAILS OF SO-AND-SO’S LIFE

ABOUT

A startling and ambitious novel, as funny as it is poignant, The Petty Details of So-and-so’s Life tells the story of Blue and Emma Taylor, who, despite an almost telepathic connection, respond to the sudden disappearance of their explosive father in remarkably different ways. Emma sets off in pursuit of a new family, and discovers a sense of belonging in the most unexpected places. Burly, tattoo-stamped Blue, haunted by the brutal, disparaging voice of their father, embarks on a cross-country search for the elusive parent. Emma and Blue share a most intimate connection, one forged in the secret worlds and wordless communications of childhood. As they grow, they discover the limits of the language they share.

PUBLISHERS

Doubleday: Canada, William Heinemann and Vintage: UK and Australia; Anthos: The Netherlands, as De onbenullige details uit het leven van die-en-die; Plon and 10:18: France, as Détails insignifiants d'une vie sans éclat; Berlin Verlagh: Germany, as Die Geschichte von Emma und Blue; Agrya: Greece (title?); Tammi: Finland, as Elaman Pikkuseitkat; and Hungary: Ulpius-haz Kiado (title?)

REVIEWS

"Camilla Gibb has done it again... an even better, much subtler novel on a similar theme... Gibb is surely one of the most talented writers around... her novel [is] a deeply moving survey of what makes our hearts beat fast and slow. She can do funny, she can do sad, she can do sex. I suspect that there is little that this wonderful woman cannot do." The Times

"Camilla Gibb is developing a reputation for sharp, coruscating narratives of dysfunctional families...[this is a] funny, twisted, heart-breaking novel." The Independent

"Camilla Gibb pulls no punches when it comes to detailing the long-term effects of a messed-up childhood... Gibb writes with a frosty intelligence about the trials of trying to grow up normal." The Independent

"It's Gibb's gentle empathy that makes this novel about growing up so moving... Gibb's unassuming but lyrical style." The Observer

"Gibb's engaging, smooth-flowing and tender writing carries the story along." The Scotsman

"Featuring 3D characters, a need-to-know-how it ends story, big issues and emotions and lots of kooky, funny bits, this fine and weirdly exhilarating novel traces their erratic, painful journeys into adulthood." The Telegraph

"Gibb's sprightly prose style lulls the reader until it subtly reveals the bleak menace within the world it so charmingly portrays." Sydney Morning Herald

"Wry humour and Gibb's simple, fluid style ensure that the book is effortlessly readable...Gibb's skill lies in deftly retreading eternal questions of loss and longing, rewarding us with some poignant prose." Time Out (London)

"It's a wonderful book." Glasgow Evening Times

"An equally impressive second novel." Publishing News (UK)

"Told with compassion and vigour." The Daily Mail (UK)

"Gibb is a naturally sparky, engaging voice." The Observer

"[A] poignant, beautifully written study of dysfunctional family life." Sainsbury's Magazine

"Its cool and quirky. Luminous, in fact." Elle (UK)

"...a compelling tale of identity and belonging with a strikingly dramatic conclusion." Good Housekeeping

"[Gibb is] a savvy popular/junk culture observer. Much of the fun of her work lies in her obvious delight in playing around with language, occasionally outrageously so." Edmonton Journal

"An excellent writer...Gibb's style meshes a breezy realism with humour and pathos, and the quirky scenes she paints are striking. Petty Details may even give you empathy for the person you just crossed the street to avoid." Ottawa Citizen

"An absorbing case study of a family in disrepair. Gibb excels at poignant scenes of domestic decay and the dialogue of bitter exchange...Gibb has an impressive gift for tart description...and her affinity for the ugly and depressing is a special taste everyone ought to acquire. Her depictions are seductive: each is so sordid you can't help but be fascinated...bursting with ideas and insight." Vancouver Sun

"Gibb's fiction is fresh and funny." Maclean's Magazine

"An astonishing novel replete with the amazing possibilities of survival, reunion and letting go." Globe and Mail

"...frank, funny and often haunting." Elle (Canada)

"Sharp, vivid vignettes...Gibb uses words like knives...Expect success for this accomplished second outing." Now Magazine

"The power of [Gibb's] fiction is that one assumes nothing. Gibb is too intelligent an author to take the easy path..." National Post

"Gibb’s fiction is big-hearted, brawny, funny, indescribably beautiful." EnRoute Magazine