The Blind Assassin

This Booker Prize winning novel begins with an elderly woman, Iris Chase, looking back on her life in a small Ontario town. She recalls a wealthy family, a declining button factory, the Depression and the years surrounding the Second World War, and the loss of her sister Laura.

The narrative layers several stories: Iris's memoir, newspaper clippings, and a pulp science fiction tale told by lovers in secret. Together they form a puzzle about family secrets, class, marriage and the stories women are allowed to tell. It is intricate, dryly funny and rich in atmosphere.