Wisconsin Novelist Jane Hamilton Meets Gregory Blake Smith for Boswell Talk

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Wisconsin best-selling author Jane Hamilton (A Map of the World, The Excellent Lombards) described the richly layered new novel The Maze at Windermere as a thrilling, laugh-out-loud literary work of fiction. Hamilton will join Gregory Blake Smith, the author of The Maze at Windermere, in conversation at Boswell Book Company at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8, an event co-sponsored by the Milwaukee Carleton Club.

The Maze at Windermere is an expansive epic set entirely in Newport, R.I., spanning more than three centuries of history. This extraordinary work of fiction transports readers from 21st-century America back in time all the way to 1692, filling the pages with captivating characters whose storylines are all somehow tied to the legendary Windermere mansion. Smith writes with a detailed understanding of the complexities of human nature, no matter the time period. Moving from the lecherous story of a famous modern tennis player with gold-digging tendencies to a British soldier during the American Revolution, and from the mind of a young orphaned Quaker girl struggling to survive on her own in the 17th century to the creative genius of the famed writer Henry James, each character speaks with an eloquence that beautifully captures their historical place in time, showcasing familiar themes of love, fame and money that blend together contemporary and historical eras.

Smith is the award-winning author of four novels, including The Divine Comedy of John Venner, a New York Times Notable Book. He currently serves as a professor of English at Carleton College.