Description

In Two Women, Jacqueline Rose fictionalizes and intertwines the lives of two remarkable figures whose stories trace the contours of the twentieth century: Edith Stein, the German-Jewish philosopher, Catholic convert and saint; and Gillian Rose, philosopher of German-Jewish thought, also a convert, and Jacqueline’s sister. Through a luminous weaving of fiction and history, Rose traces the parallels and distances between these women – their intellect, faith, suffering and courage – while also confronting the mysteries of love, loss and belonging that shape every human life. A deeply moving book, Two Women is at once an act of remembrance and a daring work of imagination by one of the most important feminist writers of our time.

Publisher Review

‘I so admired it, in its depth and generosity of identification with these extraordinary women.’

– Rowan Williams ‘It’s really hard for me to overestimate how important [Rose’s] work has been for me… I don’t feel like that about very many writers.’

– Maggie Nelson ‘Jacqueline Rose has no peer among critics of her generation. The brilliance of her literary insight, the lucidity of her prose, and the subtlety of her analyses are simply breathtaking.’

– Edward W. Said ‘One of the most original and intellectually sophisticated minds at work today.’

– Eimear McBride ‘As a literary scholar and psychoanalytic thinker, Rose has long insisted that we pay close attention to the subterranean fears, fantasies, and narratives that structure our most pressing sociopolitical problems.’

– Merve Emre, The Nation ‘To read Rose is to understand that there is no border between us and the world; it is an invitation to a radical kind of responsibility.’

– Parul Sehgal, New York Times