The novel takes so many turns and twists that I can’t simplify it here – but, to give a vague gist, it’s about Jakob’s life, the repercussions of what he’s witnessed, his continual meditation on lost sister Bella, and the relationships he has – both familial and romantic. He buries himself up to his neck in the forest, to escape detection, and is found by Greek archeologist Athos, who takes him home. The novel kicks off with Jakob, a Polish Jew, hidden in his house as Nazis come and take away his family. It might have been a really big deal: I was only ten so I wouldn’t know. Quite quickly, not picking up on all the details perhaps, but certainly it was read.įugitive Pieces was published in 1996, and won the Orange Prize for fiction.

Three copies of it in my bedroom, and I still hadn’t read it when Marie emailed with the opportunity to attend a screening… One bus journey to London later, and I’d read it. And the other day Bloomsbury sent me a review copy, since they’ve done a rejacketed edition. My friend Louie lent me the book Fugitive Pieces by A nne Michaels ages ago, and not long after that I found a cheap copy in a charity shop, so bought it intending to give Louie her copy back. My friend Hannah and I went to see Fugitive Pieces (which is on general release next week) and after a fun Chinese restaurant (‘Pock-marked Old Woman Beancurd’, anyone?) and getting rather lost, we eventually ended up in the little cinema with eleven other people, to watch it. I went to my first advanced-screening yesterday.

Fugitive pieces book review