{"product_id":"the-history-of-great-things-a-novel-isbn-9780062412676","title":"The History of Great Things: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003eA witty and irresistible story of a mother and daughter regarding each other through the looking glass of time, grief, and forgiveness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn two beautifully counterpoised narratives, two women—mother and daughter—try to make sense of their own lives by revisiting what they know about each other. \u003cem\u003eThe History of Great Things\u003c\/em\u003e tells the entwined stories of Lois, a daughter of the Depression Midwest who came to New York to transform herself into an opera star, and her daughter, Elizabeth, an aspiring writer who came of age in the 1970s and ’80s in the forbidding shadow of her often-absent, always larger-than-life mother. In a tour de force of storytelling and human empathy, Elizabeth chronicles the events of her mother’s life, and in turn Lois recounts her daughter’s story—pulling back the curtain on lifelong secrets, challenging and interrupting each other, defending their own behavior, brandishing or swallowing their pride, and, ultimately, coming to understand each other in a way that feels both extraordinary and universal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe History of Great Things \u003c\/em\u003eis a novel about a mother and daughter who are intimately connected and not connected enough; it will make readers laugh and cry and wonder how we become the adults we always knew we should—even if we’re not always adults our parents understand.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“I’ve long been an admirer of Elizabeth Crane’s absolutely unique voice—no one else working in contemporary American letters sounds quite like her. This is an important work, fearless in both structure and vision, with Crane’s razor-edge fusion of intelligence, humor, and emotion informing every chapter.”—Jamie Quatro, author of \u003cem\u003eI Want to Show You More\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I cannot remember the last time I simultaneously cried and laughed as hard as I did while reading Elizabeth Crane’s glorious, tender knockout of a novel, \u003cem\u003eThe History of Great Things\u003c\/em\u003e. Wait, yes, I can. It was the last time I spoke to my mom about life.”—Amber Tamblyn, author of \u003cem\u003eDark Sparkler\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe History of Great Things\u003c\/em\u003e tells the entwined stories of Lois, an ambitious opera singer, and her daughter, Elizabeth, an aspiring writer who came of age in the forbidding shadow of her often-absent, always larger-than-life mother. In a tour de force of storytelling and human empathy, mother and daughter pull back the curtain on lifelong secrets, challenging and interrupting each other, defending their own behavior, brandishing or swallowing their pride, and, ultimately, coming to understand each other in a way that feels both extraordinary and universal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In her signature prose style, Elizabeth Crane unpacks the problematic relationship between mother and daughter that will resonate with anyone. By telling each other’s stories, the mother and daughter reinvent themselves, their relationship, and the possibility of empathy. You will cry, weep, and be glad you went along for this beautiful and heartbreaking ride.”—Emily Rapp Black, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Still Point of the Turning World\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Elizabeth Crane has written a novel that is both unprecedented and fantastic (in every sense). Her every page thrums with wisdom, buzzes with truth. I learned that love survives death. And that no one ever really goes away, even if they have. And that all sides have many stories. This is unlike any novel I’ve ever encountered and it’s absolutely wonderful.”—Jill Alexander Essbaum, author of \u003cem\u003eHausfrau\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003ePraise for We Only Know So Much: “The Copelands would feel right at home in a Noah Baumbach movie. . . . Our narrator is an omniscient ‘We’ who reports the goings-on of the family with the breathless glee of an incurable gossip.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Not since The Royal Tenenbaums have I loved a family so much. The Copelands of We Only Know So Much are wonderfully eccentric, hilariously not self-aware and strangely adorable. They seemed so real, I felt like I was reading my own family story.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJessica Anya Blau, author of The Summer of Naked Swim Parties and Drinking Closer to Home\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This is the kind of book that inspires a person to see the beauty in the ordinary, to stop concentrating on others’ failings long enough to see their spark and maybe rediscover his or her own.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSusan Henderson, author of Up from the Blue\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A unique and dizzying tale that delves into the emotional life of a family teetering on the brink of everything. . . . The beauty in Crane’s novel is her sweep from acid commentary to heartfelt portrayal of real-life loves and losses.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This is an irresistible and winsome read. A truly astute tale of love neglected and reclaimed, family resiliency, spiritual inquiries, and personal metamorphoses.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I’ve long been an admirer of Elizabeth Crane’s absolutely unique voice-no one else working in contemporary American letters sounds quite like her. So to say that \u003ci\u003eThe History of Great Things\u003c\/i\u003e astonished me is saying a lot. Co-written, in a sense, by a daughter and her absent mother (who speaks from beyond the grave), this is an important work, fearless in both structure and vision, with Crane’s razor-edge fusion of intelligence, humor, and emotion informing every chapter. Get ready, world: this one’s going to be huge.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJamie Quatro, author of I Want to Show You More\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Poignant and hilarious...Crane writes about the relationship between a deceased mother and her daughter as they tell each other’s stories to understand each other.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMichele Filgate, Los Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Elizabeth Crane has written a novel that is both unprecedented and fantastic (a word I mean in every sense). Without question, the unconventional narrative is compelling in a can’t-stop-reading kind of way. But there’s more to this book than a keen story cleverly told. Her every page thrums with wisdom, buzzes with truth. What did I learn after reading \u003ci\u003eThe History of Great Things\u003c\/i\u003e? I learned that love survives death. And that no one ever really goes away, even if they have. And that all sides have many stories. And that we make our own happiness. This is unlike any novel I’ve ever encountered and it’s absolutely wonderful.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJill Alexander Essbaum, author of Hausfrau\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Ultimately, \u003ci\u003eThe History of Great Things\u003c\/i\u003e is a story of perception, one well worth reading. It serves as a reminder that what truly matters to each of us is not what actually happens, but how we remember it.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Rumpus.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Cowritten, in a sense, by a daughter and her absent mother (who speaks from beyond the grave), this is an important work, fearless in both structure and vision, with Crane’s razor-edge fusion of intelligence, humor, and emotion informing every chapter. Get ready, world: this one’s going to be huge.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJamie Quatro, author of I Want to Show You More\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I cannot remember the last time I simultaneously cried and laughed as hard as I did while reading Elizabeth Crane’s glorious, tender knockout of a novel, \u003ci\u003eThe History of Great Things\u003c\/i\u003e. Wait, yes I can. It was the last time I spoke to my mom about life.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAmber Tamblyn, author of Dark Sparkler\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Like everything Elizabeth Crane writes, \u003ci\u003eThe History of Great Things\u003c\/i\u003e is wonderful fun to read-smart, insightful, and witty-but it will break your heart, too. It stares down the poignant question so many daughters want to ask: How well did my mother really know me?” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePamela Erens, author of Eleven Hours and The Virgins\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The novel flows smoothly, and readers game for offbeat narrative approaches will be well rewarded. . . . So much like the relationship they’re borne of, Crane’s deeply realized mother-daughter inventions are therapeutic and ruthless, heartfelt and crushing. A lovely exercise in the wild, soothing wonders of imagination.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Imagine sitting at a leisurely dinner with two intelligent women, a mother and daughter....The format may be experimental, but the emotions the book will stir in readers are moving and heartbreakingly familiar.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Elizabeth Crane’s latest novel, \u003ci\u003eThe History of Great Things\u003c\/i\u003e, is a poignant dual narrative featuring a mother and daughter whose disparate paths ultimately prevent them from ever truly understanding each other. . . . Alternating between laugh-out-loud humor and heart-rending melancholy, Crane gives us a mother and daughter who never quite grasp each other’s life stories, but who find truth through unconditional love.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBookpage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888320213221,"sku":"NP9780062412676","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062412676.jpg?v=1730228813","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-history-of-great-things-a-novel-isbn-9780062412676","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}