The Cartography Of Others

A Japanese soprano sets sail for arid, haunted Corsica where she seeks her lost voice. A nude woman at the window of a Hong Kong hotel watches her lover dine in an adjacent building, but is her desire faltering? With a young son and her photographer partner, a journalist traverses Mali to interview an irascible musician. A son relives his mother’s last hours before a hiking accident in the Italian Dolomites, while in London a grieving family takes in an ex-soldier from the Balkan wars, unaware of the man’s demons.The Cartography Of Others takes us from fumy Accra to suburban Sydney, from scruffy Paris to pre-fundamentalist Mali. Each bewitchingly recounted story conveys a location as vital as the fitful, contemplative characters themselves. Lives are mapped, unpicked, and crafted across vivid, lingering terrains.

Reviews of The Cartography Of Others

"McNamara's work has a fierce, vital beat, her stories robust yet finely-worked, her voice striking in its confidence and originality. She writes with sensuous precision and a craft that is equally precise. This is fiction that can stand up in any company." Hilary Mantel; "Catherine McNamara's haunting stories map landmarks of psychological encounter. Hers is an international canvas, marking the points where contemporary lives cross with sensuality and finesse. Beautiful work." Cathy Galvin; "McNamara does things with words (most) other writers cannot. Her stories are sensual and assured. Not a writer to be ignored." Tom Vowler; "Catherine McNamara's writing is superb, this latest collection presents a unique way to talk about displacement and sensuality." Eric Akoto