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MARIE CLAIRE BEST BOOKS OF 2023

‘Thrilling…the experimental format carries an enjoyable tale impressively’ Times Literary Supplement

‘Spry, compulsive, unexpectedly profound’ Observer

A novel like no other – remarkably told through museum wall labels – about a twentieth-century woman who transforms herself from a precious object into an unforgettable protagonist

Prized, collected, critiqued. One Woman Show revolves around the life of Kitty Whitaker as she is defined by her potential for display and moved from collection to collection through multiple marriages. Christine Coulson, who has written hundreds of exhibition wall labels for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, precisely distils each stage of Kitty’s sprawling life into that distinct format, every brief snapshot in time a wry reflection on womanhood, ownership, value and power.

Described with wit, poignancy and humour over the course of the twentieth century, Kitty emerges as an eccentric heroine who disrupts her privileged, porcelain life with both major force and minor transgressions. As human foibles propel each delicately crafted text, Coulson playfully asks: who really gets to tell our stories?

‘Heartbreaking and funny . . . truly masterful and patient and insane, in the best way’ Leanne Shapton

‘Wry, humorous, poignant’ Spectator