SUNSET OVER CHOCOLATE MOUNTAINS
SUNSET OVER CHOCOLATE MOUNTAINS
Susan’s first novel, Sunset over Chocolate Mountains (Fourth Estate, 2000), tells the story of an odd-ball Englishman, Theobald Moon, who brings up his daughter Josie in a mobile home in the Arizona desert. Surrounding her with a cactus garden and concocting weird and wonderful ice-cream flavours, Theo tells Josie fairy stories to explain the universe. All seems idyllic; but as we watch Josie start to question her father’s fragile idea of reality,
the narrative moves between the desert and a snow-bound Slovakia, where an
ice-cream seller and a shoe-factory worker meet and fall in love…
Praised for its originality and evocation of a fierce yet magical landscape, Sunset over Chocolate Mountains was awarded a Betty Trask prize for first novels and went on to be translated into lots of other languages. It is currently being adapted for film by director
Venetia Dearden and writer Amber Trentham – watch this space!
The Times
“Rich, strange, unclassifiable... like Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Sunset Over Chocolate Mountains has an intricate structure, evoking a tenderness and charm that weave magically around its characters. Heartfelt and stylish.”
Observer
“It is likely that Susan Elderkin will continue entertaining and moving us. A first-rate writer of literature.”
The Guardian
“Richly imaginative, strange and compelling, this novel contains as many stinging surprises as the desert in which it is set.”
Company
“Fresh and original.”
The Mail
“This is a bold, captivating debut from an intelligent new voice.”
