The acclaimed and bestselling author Tom Rachman discusses his newest novel The Imposters (Bond Street Books, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

The Imposters by Tom Rachman (Bond Street Books, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Imposters

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

This past summer Tom Rachman published a new novel, The Imposters. It’s the story of a writer, Dora Frenhofer, once successful, now aging and embittered. Her mind is going, and we see its descent and her desperation to finish her last book. Set in the weeks around March 2020, just as the pandemic was seizing the world, we get a sense of what it was like in Dora’s London, England. She is alone, but as we see her life changing, we see some of the people who drift in and out or alongside her life. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a character with a connection to Dora, whether it’s her missing brother, her estranged daughter, a former lover, or that one last remaining friend. The book draws out these characters in their isolation, literally and figuratively, and it’s a dazzling story that Rachman weaves; one that’s riveting to the end. The struggles of a writer are throughout the book. We see a writer at the end of their career, as well as a character who appears to be at the beginning of theirs. I’ll also ask Tom to reflect on writing, and publishing, as well as how he measures success today. He joined me from Toronto back in late June, just as the book was released. He lives in London, where he was born, but was raised here in Vancouver. He first appeared on the program in 2011, after the publication of his first novel The Imperfectionists, which was an international bestseller, and was translated into twenty-five languages. He was last on in 2018 with another novel, The Italian Teacher. He attended the University of Toronto, and the Columbia Journalism School. He was also a journalist with the Associated Press. His website is at www.tomrachman.com. The Imposters is a Bond Street Book from Penguin Random House Canada. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Tom Rachman; Mr. Rachman, good morning.

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