great adaptations

Life After Life, Basically a Russian Doll Period Drama, Is Being Adapted for TV

Photo-Illustration: Vulture and Publisher

Just wait until you see her get killed by falling off a roof, the Spanish flu, and, oh yeah, Hitler’s cronies. Life After Life, the critically acclaimed 2013 novel written by Kate Atkinson and beloved in the book-club circuit, is being adapted by the BBC for a four-part television series, Deadline reports. Please visualize Natasha Lyonne while we tell you about the narrative: Life After Life follows a woman named Ursula, born in Edwardian-era England, who’s somehow able to die and be reborn over and over again, creating an endless loop of parallel lives for herself. Some of these loops end in tragic childhood deaths, while others are able to get Ursula to the height of World War II before meeting the reaper — and if she lives that long, she might even be able to change the course of history. Lionsgate had previously bought the rights to Life After Life years ago in the hopes of adapting it, but nothing came to fruition. A second chance. What a concept!

Life After Life, Basically Russian Doll, Is Being Adapted