All That Is

An extraordinary literary event, a major newnovel by the PEN/Faulkner winner and acclaimed master, here is a sweeping,seductive, deeply moving story set in the years after World War II.After hisexperiences as a young naval officer in battles off Okinawa, Philip Bowmanreturns to America and finds a position as a book editor. It is a time whenpublishing is still largely a private affair-a scattered family of small houseshere and in Europe-a time of gatherings in fabled apartments and conversationsthat continue long into the night. In this world of dinners, deals, andliterary careers, Bowman finds he fits in perfectly. But despite hissuccess, love eludes him. His first marriage goes bad, another fails tohappen, and finally he meets a woman who enthralls him and sets him on acourse he could never have imagined for himself.Romantic and haunting, AllThat Is explores a life unfolding in a world on the brink of change. It isa dazzling, sometimes devastating labyrinth of love and ambition, a fiercelyintimate account of the great shocks and grand pleasures of being alive.