Partita
Author of Demon Copperhead, Double Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction
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Pub Date 6 Oct 2026 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
A song without any answer in it? That's the sound of waiting.
Livia Bohusz misses her brother, Cyrus. Unmoored by his death, and the stifling silence of the family farm, eleven-year-old Livia has no choice but to survive. Her only solace: music, an escape in the quiet rapture piano practice brings. The promise of a new life her talent offers, intoxicating.
So when Livia starts her college music scholarship it feels as if a new life might begin. Immersing herself in her passions in a world where she excels, even as she struggles to fit in with more urbane classmates, she glimpses the possibilities of a life beyond the farm and her parents.
Then one springtime, as the smell of reviving grass and crocuses and the sounds of songbirds fill the air, Livia catches a glimpse of shirt sleeves rolled to the elbow, muscles you wouldn't miss in the rear view:
'Who is that man?'
It is a question Livia may come to wish she had never asked.
From one of the greatest writers alive comes Livia's story, Partita, both a coming-of-age narrative and an examination of midlife hopes and regrets, a novel as simple as love and longing, as touching, complex and finely tuned as the music it celebrates.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9780571404711 |
| PRICE | £20.00 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 352 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 5 members
Featured Reviews
Steph B, Educator
As always, Kingsolver creates convincing and deeply moving characters and plot. From the opening pages, I found myself totally absorbed by the tragedy that underpins this world and transfixed by the way that Kingsolver exposes the many manifestations of grief at the different stages of our lives. It may not earn the accolades of Poisonwood or Demon Copperhead, but for me this is her finest work.
Sarah T, Bookseller
my favourite read of 2026, thats for sure. I have a mixed relationship with the author - having still not been able to finish Poisonwood Bible, yet adored Demon Copperhead. But I think this tops Demon. It is shorter and doesn't have the midway lull that I thought Demon had.
Livia is a supremely talented pianist at university. But her life is derailed by a chance meeting with, of course, an impossibly handsome man.
Told in present day, and through the past lense we start to build the picture of a life lived in parts, the highs, the lows - just like the music score, the partita.
I was immersed in the world of music despite really having limited knowledge - it didn't matter. I loved Livia, and the supporting characters. I really loved how the conclusion was drawn, and I savoured the ending. I saved the last chapter to read rather than racing through, which is rare. A superb read.
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