Can I read Learning to Talk : Short Stories on EtoBox?

Learning to Talk : Short Stories by Hilary Mantel; 4th Estate is a work of fiction available to read on EtoBox.

What is Learning to Talk : Short Stories about?

A companion piece to the captivating memoir GIVING UP THE GHOST by the Man Booker-winning author, this collection of loosely autobiographical stories locates the transforming moments of a haunted childhood. This sharp, funny collection of stories drawn from life begins in the 1950s in an insular northern village 'scoured by bitter winds and rough gossip tongues.' For the child narrator, the only way to survive is to get up, get on, get out. In 'King Billy is a Gentleman', the child must come to terms with the loss of a father and the puzzle of a fading Irish heritage. 'Curved Is the Line of Beauty' is a story of friendship, faith and a near-disaster in a scrap-yard. The title story sees our narrator ironing out her northern vowels with the help of an ex-actress with one lung and a Manchester accent. In 'Third Floor Rising', she watches, dazzled, as her mother carves out a stylish new identity. With a deceptively light touch, Mantel locates the transforming moments of a haunted childhood.

Who reads Learning to Talk : Short Stories?

Author

Hilary Mantel; 4th Estate

Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Published

2012

Language

EN

ISBN

9780007166442

Category

work of fiction

Subjects

Memoir, Fiction, Biography

Rating

3.67 / 5 (144 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-14