Black & White

Praise for Dani Shapiro's
"Black & White
"
"Universal dilemmas . . . face us all, and it is the novelist's job to breathe life into them one way or another, and this is something Shapiro does very well indeed. The strength of this novel is its particularity, it's specificity, whether Shapiro is raking over the changes wrought by the years to the Upper West Side or describing Clara's sense of dislocation as she attempts to blend in with the other moms on the Maine Island. . . . [Shapiro] has the skill to make those black scratches on white paper somehow live and breath."
--"The New York Times Book Review""
"Trenchant and enduring . . . Shapiro elegantly and movingly portrays the troubled relationship young Clara has with a mother who uses her for her own artistic aims . . . As Shapiro has demonstrated in her earlier work, most notably in the novel "Family History," she is nimble with structure and she plays out the story line deftly, creating the urgency of unraveling mystery in what is essentially psychological drama."
--"Los Angeles Times Book Review"
"Shapiro's sharp depictions of love and shame go a long way . . . [T]he novel offers some fine insights into marriage, the making of art and the often difficult mother-daughter dynamic."
--"Publisher's Weekly
"
"Ambitious . . . thrilling . . . Shapiro's subtle, nuanced handling of her material emphasizes the radical subjectivity of experience, and builds into a powerful and compelling point."
--"Time Out New York
"
"Spellbinding . . . provocative, hypnotic . . . spot-on authentic. A cool depiction of a mother and daughter's fraught and fiery relationship."
--"USA Today
"
"Enthralling, fast-paced and a great read. "Black & White" presents knotty, compelling issues that Shapiro examines intelligently and without gratuitous drama."
--"The Miami Herald"
"A complex family drama . . . one that plays out both in the art world and on the streets of Manhattan. Mothers and daughters is a naturally absorbing subject and in "Black & White," Shapiro shapes an intriguing dilemma that heightens into a moving story."
--New York" Daily News"
"Shapiro's central characters are expertly rendered: both the damaged Clara, whose childhood trust in and love for her mother was abused, and Ruth, whose love for her daughter and her art were so inextricably linked that they became interchangeable."
--"Elle
"
"The story unfolds beautifully, drawing the reader into the family drama, while Shapiro creates a sense of uneasy secrecy about Ruth and Clara's relationship by revealing only a few details at a time. Oprah's Book Club readers or fans of Jodi Picoult will enjoy this psychologically gripping book."
--"Library Journal"
"
""Beautiful and aptly told . . . "Black & White "is a skillful exploration of motherhood, pitting artistic inspiration against maternal duty. It's evocative and gripping and completely involving." -"Commuter Week
"
"A gripping narrative one reads ravenously-and mourns its ending." -"Bristol Press
"
"This novel of an extreme mother-daughter relationship is a story of flight, confrontation and survival, but more than that . . . it is the story of a mother's love and the strange ways it can be manifested, escaped, survived and understood." -"Taconic Newspaper Group
"
"Family History
"
"A bona fide page-turner . . . Apoised, absorbing book . . . Shapiro describes the cold new world Rachel and her husband inhabit in graceful and nuanced prose."
--"The New York Times Book Review"
"One of those books most readers will finish in one sitting . . . because it is so intense you can't take a break. In gripping, moving prose, Shapiro reminds us of any family's essential fragility, but also of the tenacious strength of love."
--"Detroit Free Press"
"[Shapiro] writes wonderfully. . . . Her portrayal of a mother and wife struggling to accept the limits of her love and custody will resonate with anyone who has wished they could protect someone, and failed."
--"Chicago Tribune
"
"Slow Motion
""Absorbing, sweetly stinging . . . Shapiro's book succeeds as a gracefully written story of reckoning inspired by tragedy and of the long reach of familial roots."""
--"The Wall Street Journal"
"Cogent and unforgettable."
--"Houston Chronicle"
"Stylishly written . . . splendid . . . Shapiro's prose is seamless."
--"Newsweek
"

"From the Hardcover edition."

Spellbinding . . . provocative, hypnotic . . . spot-on authentic. A cool depiction of a mother and daughter's fraught and fiery relationship. USA Today Enthralling, fast-paced and a great read. Black & White presents knotty, compelling issues that Shapiro examines intelligently. The Miami Herald Shapiro's central characters are expertly rendered: both the damaged Clara, whose childhood trust in and love for her mother was abused, and Ruth, whose love for her daughter and her art were so inextricably linked that they became interchangeable. Elle Uncompromising storytelling. . . . The ideas Shapiro grapples with resonate, and she raises trenchant and enduring questions that resist easy answers. Los Angeles Times Funny and tragic. . . . Perfectly displays Shapiro's commanding craftsmanship...Shapiro does something rather thrilling with her story: she gets it just right. The Washington Post"

"Spellbinding . . . provocative, hypnotic . . . spot-on authentic. A cool depiction of a mother and daughter's fraught and fiery relationship." --USA Today"Enthralling, fast-paced and a great read. Black & White presents knotty, compelling issues that Shapiro examines intelligently." --The Miami Herald"Shapiro's central characters are expertly rendered: both the damaged Clara, whose childhood trust in and love for her mother was abused, and Ruth, whose love for her daughter and her art were so inextricably linked that they became interchangeable."--Elle"Uncompromising storytelling. . . . The ideas Shapiro grapples with resonate, and she raises trenchant and enduring questions that resist easy answers." --Los Angeles Times"Funny and tragic. . . . Perfectly displays Shapiro's commanding craftsmanship...Shapiro does something rather thrilling with her story: she gets it just right. --The Washington Post

Dani Shapiro's most recent books include Family History and Slow Motion.
Marguerite Gavin has recorded over three hundred audiobooks in nearly every genre. A nominee for the prestigious Audie Award, she was won both AudioFile Earphones and Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Awards. AudioFile magazine says "Marguerite Gavin . . . has a sonorous voice, rich and full of emotion."