It''s the summer of 1951 and everyone is looking to put the dark days of the war behind them. The government''s solution: The Festival of Britain, a celebration of the country''s creativity, grit and ingenuity. For foreign correspondent-turned-war reporter, Harry Flynn, it might offer the chance of redemption after a bad war in the Far East. But when he returns to London, the peace proves no less easy to negotiate. Having failed to resume his journalistic career, he reluctantly joins an oddball team of misfits, ne''er do wells and downright chancers helping to ready the Festival of Britain for launch. Flynn''s attempts at some semblance of a romantic life also founder when one of his dates goes missing and he is deemed the last person to see her alive. Could he have been in some way responsible for her disappearance? Little does he realise that the answer to some of his mounting problems may lie in the hands of a precocious straight-talking thirteen-year-old called Veronica and a rather scruffy terrier who goes by the name of Mrs Betty... Brilliantly plotted, witty and compelling, Our Noble Selves once again affirms Kate Atkinson''s place as one of the greatest chroniclers of our times.

Autorentext

KATE ATKINSON is one of the world's foremost novelists. She won the Whitbread Book of the Year prize with her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum. Life After Life, an acclaimed BBC TV series, won several prizes including the Costa Novel Award, as did A God in Ruins. Two further historical novels - Transcription and Shrines of Gaiety - were also Sunday Times bestsellers. She has published two critically acclaimed collections of short stories: Not the End of the World and Normal Rules Don't Apply.

Her bestselling literary crime novels featuring former detective Jackson Brodie, Case Histories, One Good Turn, When Will There Be Good News? and Started Early, Took My Dog, became a BBC television series starring Jason Isaacs. Jackson Brodie later returned in the novel Big Sky and the most recent, Death at the Sign of the Rook, was a number one bestseller.

Kate Atkinson was awarded an MBE in 2011 and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

For information about Kate Atkinson's books, including her Jackson Brodie series, visit www.kateatkinson.co.uk

Klappentext

The clever and compelling tale of a war-scarred journalist caught in the lives of a country rebuilding itself from one of the greatest chroniclers of our times, Kate Atkinson.

'In Our Noble Selves, Kate Atkinson proves a tender, wry guide to the eccentricities of British life as revealed in the archives.' TLS
**'**Gleefully observed - also beautifully illustrated - this novel is a hoot. The characters are terrific.' The Guardian
**'**A winning combination of clever plotting, spry pacing and an endearing cast of characters.' The Daily Mail

It's the summer of 1951 and everyone is looking to put the dark days of the war behind them. The government's solution: The Festival of Britain, a celebration of the country's creativity, grit and ingenuity.

For foreign correspondent turned war reporter Harry Flynn, it might offer the chance of redemption after a bad war in the Far East and a peace that is proving no easier to negotiate. Having failed to resume his journalistic career, he reluctantly joins an oddball team of misfits, ne'er-do-wells and downright chancers helping to ready the Festival of Britain for launch.

Flynn's attempts to resume some semblance of a romantic life also founder when one of his dates goes missing and he is deemed to be the last person to have seen her alive. Could he have been in some way responsible for her disappearance?

Little does he realize that the answer to some of his mounting problems may lie in the hands of a precocious, straight-talking thirteen-year-old called Veronica and a rather scruffy terrier who goes by the name of Mrs Betty...