The Stone Diaries
Encyclopedia
The Stone Diaries is a 1993
award-winning novel by Carol Shields
.
It is the fictional autobiography about the life of Daisy Goodwill Flett, a seemingly ordinary woman whose life is marked by death and loss from the beginning, when her mother dies during childbirth. Through marriage and motherhood, Daisy struggles to find contentment, never truly understanding her life's true purpose.
The book's title may have been inspired by Pat Lowther
's poetry collection A Stone Diary (1977
). Lowther's murder in 1975
was the inspiration for Shields' earlier novel Swann: A Mystery
(1987
).
Part of the setting for the book is the historic Vinegar Hill
neighborhood of Bloomington, Indiana
.
for English language fiction in Canada
and the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
in the United States
. It is currently the only novel to have won both awards, because being an American
-born naturalized Canadian, Shields was eligible for both.
It also won the National Book Critics Circle Award
and was nominated for the Man Booker Prize
.
1993 in literature
The year 1993 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Professor Stephen Hawking's book, A Brief History of Time, becomes the longest running book on the bestseller list of The Sunday Times....
award-winning novel by Carol Shields
Carol Shields
Carol Ann Shields, CC, OM, FRSC, MA was an American-born Canadian author. She is best known for her 1993 novel The Stone Diaries, which won the U.S. Pulitzer Prize for Fiction as well as the Governor General's Award in Canada.-Biography:Shields was born in Oak Park, Illinois...
.
It is the fictional autobiography about the life of Daisy Goodwill Flett, a seemingly ordinary woman whose life is marked by death and loss from the beginning, when her mother dies during childbirth. Through marriage and motherhood, Daisy struggles to find contentment, never truly understanding her life's true purpose.
The book's title may have been inspired by Pat Lowther
Pat Lowther
Patricia Louise Lowther was a Canadian poet. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, she grew up in the neighboring city of North Vancouver.-Life:...
's poetry collection A Stone Diary (1977
1977 in literature
The year 1977 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Douglas Adams begins writing for BBC radio.*V. S. Naipaul declines the offer of a CBE....
). Lowther's murder in 1975
1975 in literature
The year 1975 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* August 12 — with the 20-year time limit stipulated by Thomas Mann at his death having expired, sealed packets containing 32 of the author's notebooks were opened in Zurich, Switzerland.* Writing under the...
was the inspiration for Shields' earlier novel Swann: A Mystery
Swann: A Mystery
Swann: A Mystery is a novel by the late Carol Shields which details the impact of an obscure Canadian poet, Mary Swann, upon four individuals: a feminist literary critic, the poet's biographer, a small-town librarian, and a crusty, brilliant newspaper editor...
(1987
1987 in literature
The year 1987 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tom Wolfe was paid $5 million for the film rights to his novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities, the most ever earned by an author, at the time.-Fiction:...
).
Part of the setting for the book is the historic Vinegar Hill
Vinegar Hill Historic District
The Vinegar Hill Historic District is a historic district and neighborhood in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. Built primarily in the second quarter of the twentieth century, Vinegar Hill has been the home of leading Indiana University faculty members, it has inspired literary attention, and...
neighborhood of Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
.
Awards and nominations
The Stone Diaries, which is Shields' most famous novel, won the 1993 Governor General's Award1993 Governor General's Awards
Each winner of the 1993 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit received $10,000 and a medal from the Governor General of Canada. The winners were selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Fiction:Winner:...
for English language fiction in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. It originated as the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, which was awarded between 1918 and 1947.-1910s:...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is currently the only novel to have won both awards, because being an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born naturalized Canadian, Shields was eligible for both.
It also won the National Book Critics Circle Award
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Award is an annual award given by the National Book Critics Circle to promote the finest books and reviews published in English....
and was nominated for the Man Booker Prize
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
.