My Real Children

The day Mark called, Patricia Cowan s world split in two.

The phone call.

His question.

Her answer.

A single word.

Yes.

No.

It is 2015 and Patricia Cowan is very old. Confused today read the notes clipped to the end of her bed. Her childhood, her years at Oxford during the Second World War those things are solid in her memory. Then that phone call and her memory splits in two.

She was Trish, a housewife and mother of four.

She was Pat, a successful travel writer and mother of three.

She remembers living her life as both women, so very clearly. Which memory is real or are both just tricks of time and light?

My Real Children is the story of both of Patricia Cowan s lives each with its loves and losses, sorrows and triumphs, its possible consequences. It is a novel about how every life means the entire world.

Short-listed for World Fantasy Awards 2015 (UK)

“Such a wise book, about sweetness in sorrow, without any sentiment... It's easy to write a sad book, but this one uplifts and sweetens even as it tears your heart to pieces. Astounding work, even by Walton's incredibly high standards. - Cory Doctorow My Real Children starts quietly, then suddenly takes you on two roller-coaster rides at once, swooping dizzily through a double panorama and ending in a sort of super Sophie s Choice . A daring tour de force.As an old woman, Patricia tells her story through the haze of deepening dementia - perhaps . . . The result is two period dramas for the price of one, told through the science fictional conceit of alternate realities. But it does a disservice to this powerful novel to focus overmuch on its structure or categorization . . . Rendered with Walton s usual power and beauty . . . The alternate-history elements grow stronger as the stories progress, yet it s this haunting character complexity that ultimately holds the reader captive to the tale. - New York Times My Real Children is the rarest sort of novel one that transcends genre. It is a book that, one surmises, will be eagerly reread as the years pass. - Quill & Quire (starred review)In My Real Children , there is a dizzying array of astonishments unfolding, a Chinese box of surprises. Once started, it is extraordinarily difficult to put this book down, even for dinner, even for bed.Lyrical and brilliant. Jo Walton takes "What If" to a new level.Breathtakingly good! I really didn't want it to end, but I had to keep turning pages to see how it came out. A novel for grown-ups, even ones who think they 'don't like science fiction.A wonderfully absorbing book about how one woman's decision can change the course of history. The characters are very real, the plot as complex as origami, the theme timeless. I lost sleep reading it, and dreamed about it when I did sleep.”

Such a wise book, about sweetness in sorrow, without any sentiment... It's easy to write a sad book, but this one uplifts and sweetens even as it tears your heart to pieces. Astounding work, even by Walton's incredibly high standards. - Cory Doctorow

My Real Children starts quietly, then suddenly takes you on two roller-coaster rides at once, swooping dizzily through a double panorama and ending in a sort of super Sophie s Choice. A daring tour de force.

As an old woman, Patricia tells her story through the haze of deepening dementia - perhaps . . . The result is two period dramas for the price of one, told through the science fictional conceit of alternate realities. But it does a disservice to this powerful novel to focus overmuch on its structure or categorization . . . Rendered with Walton s usual power and beauty . . . The alternate-history elements grow stronger as the stories progress, yet it s this haunting character complexity that ultimately holds the reader captive to the tale. - New York Times

My Real Children is the rarest sort of novel one that transcends genre. It is a book that, one surmises, will be eagerly reread as the years pass. - Quill & Quire (starred review)

In My Real Children, there is a dizzying array of astonishments unfolding, a Chinese box of surprises. Once started, it is extraordinarily difficult to put this book down, even for dinner, even for bed.

Lyrical and brilliant. Jo Walton takes "What If" to a new level.

Breathtakingly good! I really didn't want it to end, but I had to keep turning pages to see how it came out. A novel for grown-ups, even ones who think they 'don't like science fiction.

A wonderfully absorbing book about how one woman's decision can change the course of history. The characters are very real, the plot as complex as origami, the theme timeless. I lost sleep reading it, and dreamed about it when I did sleep.

Jo Walton has published nine previous novels, one essay collection and three poetry collections. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2002, the World Fantasy Award in 2004, and the Hugo and Nebula awards in 2012 for Among Others. She comes from Wales but lives in Montreal. She writes science fiction and fantasy, reads a lot, talks about books and eats great food. It worries her slightly that this is exactly what she always wanted to do when she grew up.

The day Mark called, Patricia Cowan s world split in two.The phone call.His question.Her answer.A single word.Yes. No. It is 2015 and Patricia Cowan is very old. Confused today read the notes clipped to the end of her bed. Her childhood, her years at Oxford during the Second World War those things are solid in her memory. Then that phone call and her memory splits in two.She was Trish, a housewife and mother of four.She was Pat, a successful travel writer and mother of three.She remembers living her life as both women, so very clearly. Which memory is real or are both just tricks of time and light? My Real Children is the story of both of Patricia Cowan s lives each with its loves and losses, sorrows and triumphs, its possible consequences. It is a novel about how every life means the entire world.

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