New Beginnings: New Writing from Bestselling Authors to Aid Save the Children

by Maeve Binchy, Paulo Coelho, Joanna Trollope

In an unprecedented publishing move, the world's leading writers are coming together to publish the first chapters of their new, unpublished work in a single volume entitled NEW BEGINNINGS. All proceeds of this unique venture will be going to Save the Children Tsunami Relief Fund.
Authors participating
Alexander McCall Smith chapter from Sunday Philosophy Club #2: Friends, Lovers, Chocolates coming 9/05 from Pantheon
Ian McEwan chapter from Saturday coming 3/05 from Doubleday
Maeve Binchy short story Georgia Hall – as yet unscheduled
Margaret Atwood excerpt from the Tree coming in 06 from Doubleday
Marian Keyes chapter from If You Were Me
Mark Haddon chapter from Blood and Scissors
Nicholas Evans chapter from the Divide
Nick Hornby chapter from A Long Way Down coming 6/05 from Riverhead
Paulo Coelho chapter from the Zahir
Scott Turow chapter from the Law of War coming 10/05 from FSG
Stephen King short Lisey and the Madman from McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories published 11/04
Tracy Chevalier untitled novel excerpt, as yet unscheduled for publication
Vikram Seth poem, "Earth and Sky" as yet unscheduled
Helen Fielding - introduction
Harlan Coben chapter from the Innocent coming 4/05 from Dutton
Joanna Trollope chapter from Second Honeymoon coming 2/06 from Bloomsbury
JM Coetzee chapter from Slow Man coming 10/05 from Viking
This is an extraordinary collection of superb pieces from the world's most celebrated writers. All of this is being made available to consumers in advance of publication and in aid of Tsunami victims.
Your generous and enthusiastic support of this project will enable Save the Children to continue their important work in the wake of the Tsunami devastation.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2005

About the author

Anne Maeve Binchy Snell was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, columnist, and speaker. Her novels were characterised by a sympathetic and often humorous portrayal of small-town life in Ireland, and surprise endings. Her novels, which were translated into 37 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Her death at age 73, announced by Vincent Browne on Irish television late on 30 July 2012, was mourned as the death of one of Ireland's best-loved and most recognisable writers.
She appeared in the US market, featuring on The New York Times Best Seller list and in Oprah's Book Club. Recognised for her "total absence of malice" and generosity to other writers, she finished third in a 2000 poll for World Book Day, ahead of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Stephen King.

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Beginnings is a compilation of short stories and first chapters of new novels written by best-selling authors in 2005 to benefit the Indian Ocean Tsunami Earthquake Charities. There is an introduction by Helen Fielding, followed by pieces by the authors in alphabetical order. Margaret Atwood’s hopeful Tree Baby, evocative Something Has Happened and expectant But It Could Still, are followed by Maeve Binchy’s heart-warming Georgia Hall. Thereafter, Tracey Chevalier’s historical Burning Bright, Harlen Coben’s violent The Innocent, Paulo Coelho’s intriguing The Zahir, the unique perspective of Coetzee’s Slow Man, the exciting and enthralling The Divide by Nicholas Evans, and Mark Haddon’s hilarious A Spot of Bother. Nick Hornby offers the uniquely funny A Long Way Down. Marian Keyes gives us the light-hearted Anybody Out There? For Stephen King’s Lisey’s Story, have the Kleenex handy. Delightful is the word for Alexander McCall Smith’s Friends, Lovers, Chocolate, and the prose of Ian McEwan’s Saturday is, as always, stunning. Vikram Seth proves his talent for verse with Earth and Sky. Joanna Trollope’s Second Honeymoon will resonate with empty-nesters and Scott Turow’s Ordinary Heroes is haunting and captivating. Each is a tantalising taste of an excellent offering by a popular author which confirms the talent of the writer and whets the appetite to devour this new work.

[Fonch · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories who likes me much more were the stories were written by Harlan Coben, and Scott Turow. The ratings are Margaret Atwood (3) (1) (1), Maeve Binchy (3), Tracy Chevalier (3), Harlan Coben (4), J.M. Coetzee (2), Nicholas Evans (3), Rodrigo Fresán (3), Mark Haddon (1), Nick Hornby (3), Marian Keyes (2), Stephen King (3), Alexander McCall Smith (2), Ian McEwan (3), Vikram Seth (2), Joana Trollope (2), y Scott Turow (4). None of them obtained five stars. In general the book was nice, being the best the benefical purpose, which this book was written, obtaining money for the Inonesian Tsunami of 2004.

Las historias, que más me han gustado han sido las de Harlan Coben, y la de Scott Turow. Las notas son estas Margaret Atwood (3) (1) (1), Maeve Binchy (3), Tracy Chevalier (3), Harlan Coben (4), J.M. Coetzee (2), Nicholas Evans (3), Rodrigo Fresán (3), Mark Haddon (1), Nick Hornby (3), Marian Keyes (2), Stephen King (3), Alexander McCall Smith (2), Ian McEwan (3), Vikram Seth (2), Joana Trollope (2), y Scott Turow (4). Ninguno obtuvo cinco estrellas. En general un libro agradable, siendo lo mejor el fin benéfico con el que se escribió (el maremoto de Indonesia de 2004).

[Anthony Panegyres · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bought this as it raised money for the victims of the tragic 2004 tsunami and earthquakes. It gives you a taster of a variety of opening chapters from popular novelists.. I found the chopping and changing from chapter to chapter much less interesting than a usual story anthology. But I don’t regret the buy nor the writers’ generosity.