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Dial Press
April 2010
On Sale: April 6, 2010
288 pages ISBN: 0385343663 EAN: 9780385343664 Hardcover
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Fiction
Set against the gorgeous backdrop of Rome, Tom Rachman’s
wry, vibrant debut follows the topsy-turvy private lives of
the reporters, editors, and executives of an international
English language newspaper as they struggle to keep it—and
themselves—afloat. Fifty years and many changes have ensued since the paper was
founded by an enigmatic millionaire, and now, amid the
stained carpeting and dingy office furniture, the staff’s
personal dramas seem far more important than the daily
headlines. Kathleen, the imperious editor in chief, is
smarting from a betrayal in her open marriage; Arthur, the
lazy obituary writer, is transformed by a personal tragedy;
Abby, the embattled financial officer, discovers that her
job cuts and her love life are intertwined in a most
unexpected way. Out in the field, a veteran Paris freelancer
goes to desperate lengths for his next byline, while the new
Cairo stringer is mercilessly manipulated by an outrageous
war correspondent with an outsize ego. And in the shadows is
the isolated young publisher who pays more attention to his
prized basset hound, Schopenhauer, than to the fate of his
family’s quirky newspaper. As the era of print news gives way to the Internet age and
this imperfect crew stumbles toward an uncertain future, the
paper’s rich history is revealed, including the surprising
truth about its founder’s intentions. Spirited, moving, and highly original, The Imperfectionists
will establish Tom Rachman as one of our most perceptive,
assured literary talents.
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