Left on Tenth

Sep 29, 2024 7:18 PM

Author:Delia Ephron,Delia Ephron

Left on Tenth

Brought to you by Penguin.

If you pitched a movie about a recently-widowed woman in her seventies who reconnects with a man she dated in college, leading to an exchange of emails and the pair falling in love fifty years after their first date, the studio exec would say it's too far-fetched. Yet that's just what happened to Delia Ephron, writer, bestselling novelist and screenwriter of You've Got Mail.

When Delia's beloved first husband Jerry died of cancer in 2015, after thirty-five years of marriage, she struggled without him. Focusing on the day-to-day, she decided to make one small move forward and cancel Jerry's dedicated landline. This spiralled into days of frustration, prompting Delia to turn to words to process her grief and bewilderment. Her New York Times piece about the woes of customer service caught the eye of Peter, who emailed to commiserate. He was recently widowed himself and reminded Delia that years ago, when they were college students, they had been set up by her sister Nora. Cautiously, Delia replied. Over a few short weeks of email exchanges, Delia realized that she and Peter were undeniably soulmates. Months later, still caught up in this whirlwind romance, Delia made another life-changing discovery: she was profoundly sick.

Left on Tenth is the spirited story of Delia's second chance at love, and a heartfelt and miraculous account of life after cancer.

Reviews

A tale of brilliant hope, of heartache and uplift, so refreshing - it is a wonderful read.

—— Mariella Frostrup , Times Radio

A beautiful story of finding love again in your seventies ... a story of giddy highs and suicidal lows.'

—— Gwendolyn Smith , i newspaper

Commendable for its bracingly blunt humour ... A searingly honest memoir of a battle against cancer, and a testament to the sustaining power of love.

—— Chloe Walker , Culturefly

A most anticipated book of 2022

—— TIME magazine

Best Non-fiction for 2022

—— Daily Mail

Tender, witty and romantic - there is something so calming about Delia's writing that makes you immediately want to get cosy, slow down and shut off the world for a moment.

—— Emma Gannon

If it's possible to fall in love with someone by reading their story, I just have. A testimony to the power of love, laughter, hair, friendship and cake.

—— Sam Baker

I absolutely loved this book. All of life and death and everything in between is in the pages, and Ephron has a lightness of touch while getting right to the heart of the matter which is completely addictive. Moving, painful, sweet and funny, it's a beautiful book and a joy to read.

—— Clover Stroud

Illuminating, generous, sparkling with wit, wisdom, humanity and wonder. There is nothing Delia Ephron is afraid to say; even if it's her inability to say the right thing. This is a luminous memoir that faces the death of the person you love, falling in love a second time, and an illness that threatens everything all over again. There is not one word that does not shine.

—— Rachel Joyce

Playwright and novelist Ephron (Siracusa) balances profound sorrow with unconditional love in this radiant account of the "many left turns, some perilous, some wondrous" that her life took following her husband's death ... Readers will be swept away by this triumphant story.

—— Publisher's Weekly [Starred Review]

Only someone with a heart of stone could resist the charms of Delia Ephron's tender, moving story of late-life love and illness.

—— Joanna Rakoff

Delia masterfully and hilariously reminds us that there is always more life to be found just around the corner.

—— Natasha Lyonne

...will make you believe in love again, and also in miracles. And it's so very, very funny.

—— Sarah Dunn

I loved it... Hilarious and necessary. Should be required reading for anyone over forty!

—— Francesca Segal

I love Quilt on Fire! I feel very seen. Christie Watson captures the chaos and uncertainty of midlife exactly... A hilarious romp at times, Quilt on Fire is also a moving and insightful exploration of a transformational inner journey... A joyful book that celebrates our journey back to who we are - women who dare to fly in colour

—— Kathryn Mannix, author of WITH THE END IN MIND

Funny, honest, liberating and wise - Christie Watson has written the equivalent of a laugh-until-you-cry conversation with a best friend

—— Jess Kidd, author of THINGS IN JARS

Hilarious, heartfelt and deeply moving, Christie has written a manifesto for all those of us who need to rediscover a life worth loving. A must-read

—— Kate Bowler, author of EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

A rallying cry for all those confused by their forties, Watson captures midlife with typical fearlessness, humour and style. Her writer's eye never looks away from the truth but seeks only to illuminate it. Every woman should read this book

—— Sarah Langford, author of IN YOUR DEFENCE

Unsettling and life-affirming, funny and sad, unflinchingly honest and incredibly moving, this is a bloody marvellous book, fired with the realisation that love is the only thing that matters, in the end

—— John Sutherland, author of BLUE

Sensational and so necessary. I really needed this book and I definitely won't be the only one. Women everywhere will weep with gratitude

—— Tiffany Atkinson, author of LUMEN

Raw and real and laugh-out-loud funny. So timely... Quilt on Fire is like a supportive friend reaching out a hand, saying it will be okay

—— Karen Angelico, author of EVERYTHING WE ARE

In this bold and beautiful memoir, the author of The Language of Kindness turns her gift for writing to the nub of things to the emotional chaos of midlife; the terror at the changes it wreaks, but also its strange power to deliver clarity. Having weathered this turbulence myself, I think it's the truest account of perimenopause I have yet read

—— Caroline Sanderson , Bookseller

[A] sharp, hilarious, gritty perimenopause memoir - a book for any woman drowning in the uncharted seas of midlife

—— Daily Telegraph, *Summer Reads of 2022*

Previous Article：Making Babies Next Article：Understanding Allergy

Comments

Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.