| Synopsis: |
Ray Robinson is one of the most arresting voices to come out of England in recent years. He is an assured, fearless young storyteller whose novel recalls the clarity and visceral power of Chuck Palahniuk and early Mary Gaitskill, and the redemptive spirit of Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone. His debut novel, Electricity, is a tour-de-force portrayal of a heroine you will not soon forget. Thirty-year-old Lily O'Connor has epilepsy, uncontrollable surges of electricity that leave her in a constant state of edginess. She sees the world in terms of angles: looking at every surface, weighing up every corner, and thinking of her head slamming into it. Prickly, up-front honest, and down-to-earth practical, Lily has learned to make do, to make the most of things, to look after--and out for--herself. Then her mother--whom Lily has not seen for years--dies, and Lily is drawn back into a world she thought she'd long since left behind. Reunited with her brother, a charismatic poker player, Lily pursues her own high-stakes gamble, setting out for London to track down her other, missing brother, Mikey. Her only lead is an ex-girlfriend who wants nothing to do with their family. In the pandemonium of the city, far from familiar allies, Lily's seizures only intensify. As her journey takes her from her comfort zone, it leads her into the question of what her life is meant to be. Electricity is Lily's story, told in fits and starts. Powerful, fresh, and utterly compelling, it is a debut that establishes Ray Robinson as an important and fearless new talent. |