American wins book award with epic tale of revolution

Barbara Kingsolver scooped this year's Orange Prize for Fiction with her "breathtaking" sixth novel The Lacuna.

The American author beat the hot favourite, British heavyweight Hilary Mantel, who has already landed the Man Booker Prize and Costa Novel Award.

The prize, which includes a 30,000 cheque, was presented by the Duchess of Cornwall at a ceremony at London's Royal Festival Hall last night.

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The Lacuna, Kingsolver's first novel in nine years, tells the epic journey of Harrison William Shepherd, "a man caught between two worlds", who moves between the United States and Mexico amid revolution and war.

The best-selling author was shortlisted for the Orange Prize in 1999 for The Poisonwood Bible and lives with her husband and daughter in southern Arizona.

Mantel's lengthy tome Wolf Hall is a fictional account of Thomas Cromwell, a former blacksmith boy who became Henry VIII's right-hand man.

Bookmaker William Hill had made Mantel's 10th novel the even-money favourite to win the award, while The Lacuna was at 2/1.

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Chair of the judges Daisy Goodwin, who announced the winning author, said: "We had very different tastes on the panel, but in the end we went for passion not compromise.

"We chose The Lacuna because it is a book of breathtaking scale and shattering moments of poignancy."

The prize honours excellence in women's writing from all over the world.

Two debut novelists also featured on this year's six-strong shortlist – British author Rosie Alison and American writer Attica Locke.

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Locke's thriller Black Water Rising was inspired by a harrowing memory of being on a boat trip with her father when she was 11.

Alison, who spent 10 years directing TV documentaries and co-produced the film The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, was shortlisted for her love story The Very Thought Of You, set in Britain on the brink of the Second World War.

Trinidadian-born British author Monique Roffey was also shortlisted for The White Woman On The Green Bicycle and Lorrie Moore was in the running for her third novel A Gate At The Stairs.

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