Kathryn Harrison Libros

Dr. Kathryn Harrison, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of British Columbia, focuses on environmental policy and governance. Her expertise lies in the intersection of politics and ecological issues, where she explores the complexities of policy-making and its implications for sustainability. Harrison's work contributes to the understanding of how political frameworks can address environmental challenges effectively.

Exploring the complexities of familial relationships, the narrative delves into the dynamics of love, conflict, and reconciliation within a family. Characters grapple with their pasts while navigating the challenges of their present, revealing secrets that test their bonds. Themes of identity, belonging, and the impact of shared history are central, offering a poignant reflection on what it means to be part of a family. The story unfolds with emotional depth, inviting readers to contemplate their own connections and the frames that define them.

In the tradition of The Hare with Amber Eyes and Running in the Family, a memoir of the author's upbringing by her grandparents in a fading mansion above Sunset Boulevard -- a childhood at once privileged and unusual, filled with the mementos and echoes of their impossibly exotic and peripatetic lives.Kathryn Harrison always understood that her family was beyond eccentric -- they'd breached the bounds of the unconventional. She was largely raised by her grandparents in an outsized Tudor confection of a house on the periphery of Bel Air, which she thought of as "Sunset," her kingdom of the imagination, inhabited by the past and its numberless artifacts. True wandering Jews, her grandparents had arrived in Los Angeles in the forties after dramatic, globetrotting lives. Harry Jacobs had been a fur trapper in Alaska, a soldier in the trenches of the Great War, a traveling salesman in a Model T. Margaret Sassoon had lived a privileged life as a member of a Jewish merchant family in Shanghai, turning down offers of marriage from Russian princes exiled by the Revolution. Kathryn Harrison grew up in an almost mythical realm of their letters and artifacts and stories -- until declining finances forced to sell the house on Sunset in 1971, and night fell fast. On Sunset seeks to recover that childhood, that place, those lives -- and does so with piercing poignancy.

Ann Rogers appears to be a happily married, successful young woman. A talented photographer, she creates happy memories for others, videotaping weddings, splicing together scenes of smiling faces, editing out awkward moments. But she cannot edit her own memories so easily – images of a childhood spent as her father’s model and muse, the subject of his celebrated series of controversial photographs. To cope, Ann slips into a secret life of shame and vice. But when the Museum of Modern Art announces a retrospective of her father’s shocking portraits, Ann finds herself teetering on the edge of self-destruction, desperately trying to escape the psychological maelstrom that threatens to consume her.

Exploring a complex mother-daughter relationship, the narrative delves into themes of depression, understanding, and acceptance. As the characters navigate their emotional struggles, they embark on a transformative journey toward freedom and love, revealing the intricacies of familial bonds and personal growth.

Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Shanghai, the narrative explores the intertwined lives of a Chinese woman seeking to escape her past and a Western girl drawn to the possibilities ahead. Through themes of love, revenge, and the quest for belonging, the story delves into the complexities of identity and the contrasts between cultures. Kathryn Harrison's elegant prose captures the essence of travel and the profound emotional journeys of its characters.

'This is a tale as absorbing and exciting as Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha.' Sunday Express The magical tale of a young orphan's adventures after she flees rural China for turn-of-the-century Shanghai. From Kathryn Harrison, author of the bestselling memoir THE KISS.

The book has been recognized as a New York Times Notable Book, highlighting its significance and impact within contemporary literature. It explores themes of identity, resilience, and the human experience through compelling characters and a gripping narrative. The story delves into complex relationships and societal issues, offering readers a thought-provoking journey that resonates on multiple levels. With a unique perspective and engaging prose, it invites reflection and discussion among its audience.