Nelson calls Atkinson's work, which is the Amazon Spotlight Pick for April, a "masterpiece." It's 1910 and protagonist Ursula Todd is born but, sadly, dies at birth. Then, it's 1910 again, and this time Ursula Todd is born and survives. Through this clever tale of alternative realities, Ursula continues to die and then live again as she moves through the early 20th century and World War II threatens. "It sounds like an odd construct and it is odd," Nelson says of the book by Atkinson, who is the author of "Started Early, Took My Dog." "I think it's an extraordinary, kind of brilliant play on time and redemption."
