A CELIBATE SEASON - Couverture souple

Originally published in 1991, this remarkable collaboration came about when Carol Shields and her friend Blanche Howard decided to tell two sides of the same story. Carol wrote the man's version and Blanche the woman's.

A Celibate Season is the story of what happens when Jocelyn and Charles, who have been married for years, are faced with a possible ten-month separation. In order to economize, they choose to write to each other rather than use the telephone. Through their letters, we follow the evolution and eventually the breakdown of communication. As the months progress, we begin to see two very distinct views of this time apart. Their "season of celibacy," as they initially joked, is proving to be more of a challenge than either had imagined and tests the strength and commitment of their marriage.

Carol Shields is the author of ten novels and short-story collections, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Stone Diaries and, most recently, Larry's Party. Blanche Howard has written several other novels and plays, including The Manipulator. Her adaptation of A Celibate Season for the stage was a finalist in the National Theatre playwriting competition.