At the Bottom of the Stairs
Chloe Banks
£4.99 – £10.99
Rachel is ten years old when a dog is rocketed into space. When she is sixteen, the first female astronaut orbits the Earth. At seventeen, she falls in love with Tommy. But Rachel and Tommy’s love is not written in those distant stars. Facing disapproval and uncertainty, they are forced apart.
Half a century later, they cross paths in a hotel bar and are confronted with a lifetime of what-ifs. Rachel’s life of social conformity has brought her the joys and heartbreaks of motherhood. Tommy’s marriage into high society has made him the most famous artist of a generation. But what if they had never given up on their dreams of adventure? Is what they gained apart worth as much as what they might have had together?
At the Bottom of the Stairs is a story of female space explorers and climbing trees, of loving the life you didn’t lead and learning to love the one you did.
Praise for At the Bottom of the Stairs
Full of wisdom, beauty and skill, Banks creates a powerful story that pierces the soul.
—FJ Morris, author of This Is (Not About) David Bowie
At the Bottom of the Stairs is a genuinely touching book and a pleasure to read.
—Gaynor Jones, author of Among These Animals
A love letter to language, such is the quality of Banks’ prose.
—Michael Loveday, author of Unlocking the Novella-in-Flash and Three Men on the Edge
Description
About the author
Chloe Banks lives on the edge of Dartmoor with her husband and two young sons. Her novel, The Art of Letting Go, was published by Thistle Publishing (2014) and was shortlisted for the People’s Book Prize. Since then she has concentrated on short and flash fiction, gathering a handful of publications, listings and prizes along the way. A scientist by education, she now focuses on scriptwriting, with a little bit of flash fiction here and there. When not taming words or children, she can usually be found wandering the moor or eating chocolate. Or both.
Marie Wells (verified owner) –
Chloe Banks command of language is rather thrilling. I loved the way she weaved words together. I enjoyed the story and creativity.
Steve Moles (verified owner) –
A lovely book, touching and beautifully written. Unusual in structure and thought provoking.
Michael James (verified owner) –
I found this book very moving… and the form, style and language a pleasure to read.
Ang D. –
Just beautiful. An artful treatise on “the one that got away” in the form of a well-crafted tale about love interrupted and the life that does and does not follow.
Val Taylor (verified owner) –
The second novel is supposed to be a tricky thing to produce, I’m told. Having already read The Art of letting Go and enjoyed that, I have to say that I also really enjoyed At the Bottom of the Stairs. Clear writing and a style that draws you in, with a winsome main character and a plot that takes you along at a steady pace… I felt I was in safe authorial hands and enjoyed the journey! I’d thoroughly recommend this book – it would make a good one for a Book Club discussion, too. Looking forward to any subsequent Chloe Banks books that will appear!