From Library Journal
This is Lively's first novel, originally published in England in 1977. It centers around British housewife Anne, whose father is dying in a nursing home. Anne goes to see him, in Lichfield, and in the process of cleaning out his house discovers that her father was someone she hadn't known well at all. "I knew my father in one dimension only," she realizes. Her relationships with her husband, brother, and lover might be similarly described. Lively's prose is clean and readable. This novel will appeal to people who are familiar with her recent works and to those who enjoy well-written stories that convey a message without beating the reader over the head. Recommended.- Mary Prokop, CEL Regional Lib . , Savannah, Ga.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From the Back Cover
In The Road to Lichfield, Penelope Lively explores the nature of history and memory as it is embodied in the life of a forty-year-old woman, Anne Linton, who unexpectedly learns that her father had a mistress. With this new knowledge, Linton must now examine the realities of her own life-of her childhood, her husband-and ask, What do they really know of her? Deeply felt, beautifully controlled, The Road to Lichfield is a subtle exploration of memory and identity, of chance and consequence, of the intricate weave of generations across a past never fully known, a future never fully anticipated. "The plot of The Road to Lichfield is exquisitely constructed, and the language shimmers. . . . A journey of self-discovery-the narrative urges the reader to contemplate the larger context in which people everywhere live out their individual dramas."-Wendy Martin, San Francisco Chronicle "A flawless novel about the role of the past by one of Britain's best."- Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review) "Like all of Lively's best novels, The Road to Lichfield contains beneath its modest veneer great depths of intelligence, perception and feeling, not to mention a thoroughly believable and interesting cast of characters."-Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post Book World "Uplifting energy . . . It breathes life into characters and seizes readers. . . . A refreshing validation of the positive aspects of change, and invigorating trust in caprice and whimsicality make The Road to Lichfield stand as a testament of confidence in human nature. Penelope Lively's spirited observations, her vivid and concise style, increase our enjoyment of the book."-Ladyce Pereira-Leite, Raleigh News & Observer

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In The Road to Lichfield, Penelope Lively explores the nature of history and memory as it is embodied in the life of a forty-year-old woman, Anne Linton, who unexpectedly learns that her father had a mistress. With this new knowledge, Linton must now examine the realities of her own life - of her childhood, her husband - and ask, What do they really know of her? Deeply felt, beautifully controlled, The Road to Lichfield is a subtle exploration of memory and identity, of chance and consequence, of the intricate weave of generations across a past never fully known, a future never fully anticipated. "A flawless novel about the role of the past by one of Britain's best." -- Booklist (starred review)

FROM THE CRITICS

Ellen Pall - New York Times Book Review

...[A] homey, companionable book [that is] concerned with time and memory.

Publishers Weekly

Lively's growing audience of discriminating readers will welcome the belated U.S. publication of her first novel, issued in England in 1977. This quiet but moving book betrays few earmarks of the neophyte: Lively's economical yet evocative use of language, her preoccupation with history as a force in individual lives, and her dry wit are all in evidence here. The year she turns 40, two crises interrupt Anne Linton's orderly routine as the wife of an uncommunicative and slightly boring solicitor, mother of two teenagers, and part-time teacher of history. Her father's terminal illness necessitates her frequent traveling to Litchfield in the Midlands from her Berkshire home, and throws her into contact with schoolmaster David Fielding, with whom she begins an affair. On the surface her existence remains the same, but as she discovers a major secret in her father's life and pursues a clandestine life of her own, she must acknowledge the subjective nature of memories and reassess her own attitudes about the past. She is moved to question her involvement with a group of architectural preservationists who fight the demolition of old buildings, no matter how decrepit and useless, and turn antique artifacts into chic decorative objects. (Lively goes a bit overboard in her portrayal of one character who is obsessed with doing good--``a prettier woman would have taken up adultery''--but her humor has bite.) (Feb.)

Library Journal

This is Lively's first novel, originally published in England in 1977. It centers around British housewife Anne, whose father is dying in a nursing home. Anne goes to see him, in Lichfield, and in the process of cleaning out his house discovers that her father was someone she hadn't known well at all. ``I knew my father in one dimension only,'' she realizes. Her relationships with her husband, brother, and lover might be similarly described. Lively's prose is clean and readable. This novel will appeal to people who are familiar with her recent works and to those who enjoy well-written stories that convey a message without beating the reader over the head. Recommended.-- Mary Prokop, CEL Regional Lib . , Savannah, Ga.

Ellen Pall - The New York Times Book Review, 1991