Book Giveaway: "When We Were Romans" by Matthew Kneale

I've trying to clear away some of the extra galleys I have so it's time for another giveaway. This time I have an uncorrected proof of Matthew Kneale's "When We Were Romans."

Nine-year-old Lawrence is the man in his family. He carefully watches over his willful little sister, Jemima, and his mother, Hannah. When Hannah becomes convinced that their estranged father is stalking them, the family flees London and heads for Rome, where Hannah had lived happily as a young woman. For Lawrence, fascinated by stories of popes and emperors, Rome is an adventure. Though they are short of money, and move from home to home, staying with his mother's old friends, little by little their new life seems to be taking shape. But the trouble that brought them to Italy will not quite leave them in peace.

Narrated in Lawrence's perfectly rendered voice, When We Were Romans powerfully evokes the emotions and confusions of childhood-the triumphs, the jealousies, the fears, and the love. Even as everything he understands is turned upside down, Lawrence remains determined to keep his family together as he views the world from a perspective that is at once endearingly innocent and preternaturally wise.

To Enter to Win: Send an email to pstotts@bloodofthemuse.com with the subject line "ROMANS" and include your name and mailing address in the body of your email. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Winners will be selected at random. No purchase is necessary. Contest is open to all participants. Contest ends: January 15, 2009 at 11:59pm PST.

For more Blood of the Muse giveaways: click here.

Bloggers: if you promote this contest on your blog, I will give you an additional entry. Email me at pstotts@bloodofthemuse.com with the subject line "ROMANS", and include the address to your blog in the body of the email, or you can leave the address to your blog in the comment section of this post. I'll check it out and make sure you get another entry.

Good luck to everyone who enters!