Literary Fiction · ThoughtfulA grieving teenager in modern Cambridge and a Renaissance painter in Ferrara tell two halves of one book
How to Be Both
by Ali Smith
Two stories, one from a grieving girl in Cambridge and one from a Renaissance painter, in a book printed in two orders
George is a pedantic 16-year-old in contemporary Cambridge, grieving her mother's sudden death, going to school counselling and caring for her brother Henry. She becomes fixated on Francesco del Cossa and his painting of St. Vincent Ferrer in London. Francesco's narrative follows his disembodied self as he reflects on his past life in Renaissance Ferrara, where he painted frescoes at the Palazzo Schifanoia. Hamish Hamilton published two versions at once, one with George's story first and the other with Francesco's first.
More about this book
Who
George, a 16-year-old, and Francesco del Cossa, a Renaissance painter.
World
Present-day Cambridge and Renaissance Ferrara.
What makes it different
It was published in two versions with the halves in different orders.
Feel
Playful and moving. It won the Goldsmiths Prize and the Costa Novel Award, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Further reading
- How to Be BothWikipedia