Out of the Picture [Paperback]

'With OUT OF THE PICTURE, Samson has earned herself a place on people's shelves next to Rafaella Barker, Esther Freud and Barbara Trapido. Between them, they have the market in complex, bohemian families cornered and pinned down' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY. 'Talent and a writing style that feels as natural as air' THE TIMES 'She pinpoints the telling detail in character or landscape and brings her prose to life with evocative scents and colours' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'A fine debut novel.' ESQUIRE 'OUT OF THE PICTURE is an elegant, well-written page turner... a crisp, unsentimentally poignant stare into the heart of abandonment and loneliness.' DAILY MAIL 'A haunting story of love and betrayal that ever so gently gets under your skin.' DAILY MIRROR 'She's a natural storyteller and if she were a dot.com share, I'd be investing very heavily.' TATLER 'A compelling and moving exploration of the way secrets and lies can breed obsession and unhappiness.' SUNDAY TIMES 'An essential read.' SUNDAY EXPRESS

'Talent and a writing style that feels as natural as air'

'She pinpoints the telling detail in character or landscape and brings her prose to life with evocative scents and colours'

Quite unlike her fair stepsisters, Lizzie is dark and secretive: 'Just like your father' says her mother. But what was her father like? Photos of him are hidden away; snatches of overheard conversation between her mother and her stepfather deepen the mystery. Only her best friend Savannah - also abandoned by her father when she was a baby - knows what it feels like to wonder, to try and piece together an earlier story. But when events propel Lizzie alone to London she stops wondering and starts searching...Beautifully evoking the ache of childhood loss, the scrappy joys of chaotic families, and the hurt and relief of understanding, OUT OF THE PICTURE reveals Polly Samson's talent for laying bare the uncomfortable truths that lie just under the skin - in every family, in every secret.

Excellent reviews for Polly Samson's Out of the Picture...
'Samson reprises the fractured family themes from her first collection, with deeper sympathy and insight. A fine debut novel' - Esquire

'...she has talent and a writing style that feels as natural as air' - The Times

'(Samson) pinpoints the telling detail in character or landscape and brings her prose to life with evocative scents and colours' - The Daily Telegraph

'Last year I tipped Polly Samson's engaging collection of short stories, 'Lying in Bed' as the debut of the year. Her first novel, Out of the Picture, is a worthy successor.' - Tatler

'A crisp, unsentimentally poignant stare into the heart of abandonment and loneliness' - The Daily Mail --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Polly Samson has worked in publishing and as a journalist. This is her first novel. She is married with three young sons.