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Book Summary and Reviews of The Promised World by Lisa Tucker

The Promised World by Lisa Tucker

The Promised World

A Novel

by Lisa Tucker

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  • Sep 2009, 336 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

On a March afternoon, while Lila Cole is working in her quiet office, her twin brother Billy points an unloaded rifle out of a hotel window, closing down a city block. "Suicide by police" was obviously Billy's intended result, but the aftermath of his death brings shock after shock for Lila when she discovers that her brilliant but troubled twin - the person she revered and was closer to than anyone in the world - was not only estranged from his wife, but also charged with endangering the life of his middle child and namesake, eight-year-old William.

As Lila struggles to figure out what was truth and what was fiction in her brother's complicated past, her job, her marriage, and even her sanity will be put at risk. And when the hidden meaning behind Billy's stories comes to light, she will have to act before Billy's children are destroyed by the same heartbreaking reality that shattered her protector and twin more than twenty years ago.

A love song to the redemptive power of books and stories, The Promised World is a mesmerizing tale of intimacy, betrayal, and lost innocence that will haunt readers long after they have turned the final page.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"The strong, plausible narrative threatens to lapse into melodrama at the end but Tucker's easy hand with characters and persuasive human trauma saves the day for this satisfying...novel." - Publishers Weekly

"Tucker reveals a deeply scarred, mentally ill, abusive family at the crux of a haunting, harrowing story definitely not for the fainthearted reader." - Library Journal

"If the characters had as much depth as the plot, this would be a very satisfying novel." - Kirkus Reviews

"Tucker is a riveting storyteller whose book brims with a cathartic intelligence about the dark side of families and how we survive." - People magazine

"A masterfully told story that delves deep into the human psyche and examines the frailty of the human mind after a tragedy and the powerful, lifelong impact of childhood memories." - Booklist

"Tucker excels at telling unexpected stories. In The Promised World, she hands the reader a solid marriage that is torn by tragedy...when the story's underlying turns are revealed, and everything comes together, it makes terrific sense." - The Denver Post

This information about The Promised World was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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SallyAnn

Promised World
Lisa Tucker originally from MO and now PA has written five novels.
This is the first one I have read, but not the last, as this lady can tell a story. She has a brilliant way of pacing the story. Only after the main theme and characters have been ensconced does she switch and lets each character speak from their point of view.
The story starts with twins; Billy and Lila are brainy orphaned adults. Lila has married Patrick but has not wanted children and Billy marries a showgirl, Ashley and has three children. With these facts, the real story starts With Billy committing suicide by cop.
If anyone has ever had a doubt about a childhood memory, this story will be a fascinating, psychological look at the secrets hidden by Billy so his sister may have the Promised World.
My Book Club of 15 talked longer about this book than many of the ones that went before. It was without the usual life stories as we are all of an age that barely remember our childhood. Everyone liked it is another unusual fact. It will be my pick for my other book club which is a younger bunch.

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Author Information

Lisa Tucker Author Biography

© Image House/Bob Godwin

Lisa Tucker is the author of The Song Reader, Shout Down the Moon, Once Upon a Day, The Cure for Modern Life, The Promised World, and The Winters in Bloom. Her books have been published in twelve countries and selected for a dozen national book clubs, including the Book of the Month Club, Doubleday Book Club, People, Amazon Book of the Year, Barnes & Noble Reading Group program, and the Book Sense list.

Tucker grew up in Missouri. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, she went on to receive graduate degrees in English and mathematics and was awarded fellowships in both fields. She has taught creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania, the Taos Writers' Conference and UCLA. Lisa has given readings and talks all over the country, and her short work has appeared ...

... Full Biography
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