Behind the Scenes at the Museum
by Kate Atkinson
List Price: $14.00
Pages: 333
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0312150601
Publisher: Picador USA
Kate Atkinson was born in York in 1951, she earned her master's degree in English
literature at Dundee university, and did further graduate work in American literature.
While raising her two daughters, she held a variety of jobs, from university tutor to
welfare benefits administrator, and always wrote, publishing short stories in British
magazines and finally her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, in 1995 in
England and 1996 in the United States. The critical response in both countries was
overwhelming, and Atkinson's talent was justly celebrated when Behind the Scenes at the
Museum was named England's Whitbread Book of the Year.
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Kate Atkinson, In Her Own Words:
How would you summarize Behind the Scenes at the Museum?
"Almost impossible to do (it has a very complex structure). It's the story of Ruby Lennox from birth to the age of 40, her family, and the secrets hidden in the family's story. It also contains flashbacks to other members of the family -- in the past -- and so builds up a story/family tree that spans four generations. It's about history, time, loss, coincidence, self-knowledge. (It's also about cupboards -- but no one seems to notice that!)"
What was the inspiration for your book?
"A photograph of my great-grandmother. The silver teaspoon (an event that really happened)."
Who are your favorite authors? What authors have most influenced your work?
"Anne Tyler, Jane Austen, Kurt Vonnegut, Alice Hoffman, Margaret Atwood, Henry James, Donald Barthelme, Robert Coover, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Most influential -- Jane Austen and Kurt Vonnegut."
What did you do before your novel was published?
"University tutor, legal secretary, welfare benefits administrator, home help, creative literature tutor, supervising home visit service to the homebound and elderly, chambermaid, community education tutor -- anything and everything!"
Excerpted from Behind the Scenes at the Museum © Copyright 2008 by Kate Atkinson. Reprinted with permission by Picador USA. All rights reserved.
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