The Stone Diaries

Widely regarded as a modern classic, The Stone Diaries is the story of one woman's life; that of Daisy Goodwill Flett, a seemingly ordinary woman born in Canada in 1905. Beautifully written and deeply compassionate, it follows Daisy's life through marriage, widowhood, motherhood, and old age, as she charts her own path alongside that of an unsettled century. A subtle but affective portrait of an everywoman reflecting on an unconventional life, this multi-award-winning story deals with everyday issues of existence with an extraordinary vibrancy and irresistible flair.

Winner of Pulitzer Prize for fiction 1995 Winner of Governor General's Award for English language fiction 1993 Winner of National Book Critics Circle Award 1995 Winner of McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award 1993 Short-listed for Man Booker Prize 1994

‘The Stone Diaries reminds us again why literature matters.’ —The New York Times Book Review; ‘It is wonderful. A treat.’ —JOANNA TROLLOPE; ‘A triumphant and important book. I can think of few novels containing so much that is resonant and unforgettable, or that invite the reader to participate so fully and rewardingly.’ —Sunday Telegraph; ‘Her glory book.’ —MARGARET ATWOOD; ‘Carol Shields has explored the mysteries of life with abandon, taking unusual risks along the way. The Stone Diaries reminds us again why literature matters.’ —New York Times Book Review; ‘Rapturous, sensitive and funny.’ —The Guardian; ‘A kind of family album made into a work of art.’—New York Wednesday

Carol Shields (1935–2003) was born in the United States, and emigrated to Canada when she was twenty-two. She is acclaimed for her empathetic and witty, yet penetrating insights into human nature. Her most famous novel The Stone Diaries was awarded with The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, along with the Governor General’s Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Happenstance was praised as her tour de force, masterly combining two novels in one. The international bestseller Mary Swann was awarded with the Arthur Ellis Award for best Canadian mystery, while The Republic of Love was chosen as the first runner-up for the Guardian Newspaper Fiction Prize. In 2020, the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, a North American literary award dedicated to writing by women, was set up in her honor. Her work has been published in over thirty languages.

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