All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this book or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This work is a memoir. It reflects the author’s present recollections of her experiences over a period of years. Some names and identifying characteristics have been changed in order to protect the identity of certain individuals. Any resulting resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

Copyright © 2017 by Kathleen Hill

Lucy Gayheart was published as “The Anointed” in Doubletake (1999), © 1999 by Kathleen Hill.

An earlier version of the chapters entitled Things Fall Apart and Portrait of a Lady was published as “Portrait” in the Ploughshares Solo Series (2014), © 2014 by Kathleen Hill.

An earlier version of the chapters entitled Madame Bovary and Diary of a Country Priest was published as “Avesnes: Reading in Place” in Michigan Quarterly Review (1998) 37, 1, © 1998 by Kathleen Hill.

An earlier version of the chapter entitled À La Recherche du Temps Perdu was published as “Reading with Diana” in The Yale Review (1998) 72, 2, © 1998 by Kathleen Hill.

Letter from Diana Trilling: Copyright © 1975 by Diana Trilling, used by permission of The Wylie Agency LLC.

Jacket and interior design by Greg Mortimer

978-1-5040-4859-0

Published in 2017 by Delphinium Books, Inc.
P. O. Box 703
Harrison, NY 10528
www.delphiniumbooks.com

Distributed by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
180 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
www.openroadmedia.com