The Post-Birthday World

“The Post-Birthday World is a brilliant ‘what if?’ novel. But that barely scrapes the surface in describing Shriver’s imaginative feat. . . .It’s mad genius. . . . A tour de force.” – USA Today American children’s book illustrator Irina McGovern enjoys a secure, settled life in London with her smart, loyal, disciplined partner, Lawrence – until the night she finds herself inexplicably drawn to kissing another man, a passionate, extravagant, top-ranked snooker player. Two competing alternate futures hinge on this single kiss, as Irina’s decision – to surrender to temptation or to preserve her seemingly safe partnership with Lawrence – will have momentous consequences for her career, her friendships and familial relationships, and the texture of her daily life. “A playful, psychologically acute, and luxuriously textured meditation on the nature of love.” – The New Yorker “Outstanding. . . . Shriver, a brilliant and versatile writer, allows these competing stories to unfold organically, each a fully rounded drama, rich with irony, ambiguity, and unforeseeable human complications.” – Entertainment Weekly “[A] wonderful new novel. . . . The rewards for sticking with these five-hundred-plus pages are as delicious as one of Irina’s feasts.” – Washington Post Book World “Book clubs across the USA should be buying up stacks of Lionel Shriver’s dazzling Rubik’s Cube of a novel. . . . Even if you’re a solitary reader, file this one under Books That Will Have You Talking – to yourself.” – USA Today