About the book
Shirley Hazzard's 1980 novel follows Caroline and Grace Bell, orphaned sisters from Australia who settle in England during the 1950s. Ted Tice, a young astronomer, becomes devoted to Caroline. Grace, for her part, marries Christian Thrale, an officious bureaucrat. Love, betrayal and seduction run through the lives of both sisters, and their fates are likened to the passage of the planets. The novel won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1980, and in 2026 the Guardian ranked it 53rd on a list of the best novels of all time.
Sam Altman wrote that he was re-reading it one night and called it incredible.
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This book has 1 recommendation
Sam Altman (Partner & President/Y Combinator)
Re-reading this book tonight. It's incredible.
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