Wesley

1983 · rif. 5047 — London United Kingdom: Macmillan London Limited 1983. hardcover. Very Good. N/A. Publication: London Macmillan London Limited 1983 Formatting: 8vo pp. vi 215. Condition Report: Very Good. The binding remains firm and mechanically sound exhibiting no signs of lean or separation ensuring a tight text block. The edges display the mild even age-toning typical of this specific paper stock from the early 1980s but the interior remains entirely clean bright and free of foxing. The dust wrapper currently preserved in a protective mylar sleeve is highly presentable; it remains vibrant with only minimal shelf-wear and light rubbing to the extremities avoiding the fading often seen on the spine of this title. Catalogue Note: This is a highly sought-after true first edition first printing of Mary Wesley's celebrated debut novel. Notably this true first edition hardcover variant features the correct black and green cover design beneath the dust wrapper. Published when the author was seventy years old this debut printing was produced in relatively modest numbers before her subsequent literary success drove higher print runs. Consequently securing this edition in such presentable well-preserved condition with its original bright dust wrapper has become increasingly difficult on the open market. Jumping the Queue introduces readers to Matilda Poliport a recently widowed woman who having meticulously planned her own tidy demise finds her fatal arrangements entirely upended by a chance encounter with a younger man on the run from the police. With her signature piercing observation and dark irreverent wit Mary Wesley crafts a profound and darkly comedic exploration of grief defiance and the utterly unpredictable nature of human connection. Macmillan London Limited hardcover