Second in the Cornish Trilogy following The Rebel Angels. &“An altogether remarkable creation, [Davies&’] most accomplished novel to date.&”—The New York Times Shortlisted for the Booker Prize Francis Cornish was always good at keeping secrets. From the well-hidden family secret of his childhood to his mysterious encounters with a small-town embalmer, an expert art restorer, a Bavarian countess, and various masters of espionage, the events in Francis&’ life were not always what they seemed. Rounding out the story started by the death of eccentric art patron and collector Francis Cornish in The Rebel Angels, this worthy follow-up, What&’s Bred in the Bone, takes you back to Cornish&’s humble beginnings in a spellbinding tale of artistic triumph and heroic deceit. It is a tale told in stylish, elegant prose, endowed with lavish portions of Davies&’ wit and wisdom. &“Davies&’ novel is absorbing, and the understated humor radiates with good sense about the way of the world.&”—Los Angeles Times &“Davies&’ fiction is animated by his scorn for the ironclad systems that claim to explain the whole of life. Messy, magical, high-spirited life bubbles up between the cracks.&”—South Florida Sun-Sentinel
