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Readings from modern classics, new works by leading writers and world literature

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Book at Bedtime: The Goldfinch

Jamie Parker

Di Speirs

Sally Marmion

Donna Tartt

Book at Bedtime: The Goldfinch: Episode 4: Under a Desert Sky

The Goldfinch

Episode 4

Episode 4: Under a Desert Sky

Under a Desert Sky

BBC Radio 4 - Book at Bedtime, The Goldfinch, Under a Desert Sky

The reappearance of his father changes Theo's life again.

The reappearance of his father changes Theo's life again, as he, and the painting, find themselves cast adrift in the harsh light of Las Vegas.

Donna Tartt shot to fame with her iconic first novel, The Secret History, an instant bestseller. This was followed by The Little Friend in 2002. Now, eleven years later, her eagerly awaited, much anticipated third novel, The Goldfinch, comes to Book at Bedtime, beginning on the eve of world wide publication.
At the heart of the novel lies a masterwork by the Dutch painter Carel Fabritius, a picture of a small chained bird, The Goldfinch. This tiny painting becomes the only certainty for thirteen year old Theo Decker when his secure world with his devoted mother is shattered and life becomes fallible and frightening. From the chaos of existence with his foolish, reckless father, and a passionate friendship with the crazy, warm-hearted, wild Boris, to the drawing rooms of the Upper East Side and a dusty downtown antique shop, Theo is left to find his own way through his teenage years and into adulthood. The painting is his talisman, his touchstone, until it draws him into a murky criminal underworld of drugs, art theft and fatal dealings.
Tartt follows Theo through grief, teenage delinquency, passionate friendship and obsessive love, in a story of enthralling suspense, peopled with unforgettable characters. As the drama reaches its gripping conclusion, Theo may or may not find out how to survive.
In today's episode: 'Under a Desert Sky'. The reappearance of his father changes Theo's life again, as he, and the painting, find themselves cast adrift in the harsh light of Las Vegas.

Donna Tartt was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and is a graduate of Bennington College. She is the author of the novels The Secret History, The Little Friend, and The Goldfinch.
The reader is Jamie Parker.
The abridger is Sally Marmion
The producer is Di Speirs.

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Donna Tartt's eagerly-awaited third novel is a story of art, obsession, love and loss

Donna Tartt's eagerly-awaited third novel. A story of devastating loss, surprising friendships, antiques, art thefts and obsessive love

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