Ralph and Anna Eldred are an exemplary couple, devoting themselves to doing good. Thirty years ago as missionaries in Africa, the worst that could happen did. Shattered by their encounter with inexplicable evil, they returned to England, never to speak of it again. But when Ralph falls into an affair, Anna finds no forgiveness in her heart, and thirty years of repressed rage and grief explode, destroying not only a marriage but also their love, their faith, and everything they thought they were.
A Change of Climate
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From Kirkus Reviews
Acclaimed British novelist Mantel (An Experiment in Love, 1996, etc.; see below) offers a provocative take on men and women of goodwill side-swiped by unsuspected evil and betrayal in places as far apart as Botswana and England. The story, moving between the past and recent present, is a cautionary, compassionate tale of a model family almost destroyed by its secrets. At the start, Ralph Eldred has just learned that sister Emma, a doctor, has had a longtime affair with the married and recently deceased Felix. Ralph, whose life has been spent helping ``sad cases and good souls,'' is shaken by this ``failure of self-knowledge.'' As a young man, his wealthy and devout father forced him to give up his plans to study geology and to work instead at the inner-city mission. When offered a posting to South Africa, Ralph accepted because it would take him far away from his father. He marries Anna, as principled as he, and they settle into mission life. It's now the early 1960s, apartheid's apogee, and the two routinely confront police brutality and corruption. They become activists, eventually find themselves imprisoned, and then, released from jail, accept a remote posting in Botswana, where Anna gives birth to the twins Kit and Matthew. Later, a malevolent servant stabs Ralph and abducts the twins. Only Kit is found. Back in England, Ralph and Anna have more children but never tell them about the lost baby. Kit, however, now a college graduate, is troubled by dreams of Africa; Anna, still heartsore and angry over losing her child, feels alienated from Ralph; son Julian is adrift, and Ralph himself finds his charity work meaningless. He himself now slips into an affair, discovery of which finally provides a necessary catharsis. Emotions are vented, secrets revealed, and the family's love and faith are found to be stronger than suspected. A subtle exploration in vividly detailed settings of the complex workings of the hearts of well-intentioned people. Intelligent and moving. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an alternate
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Review
"Ambitious and powerful. . .an extremely complex inquiry into the nature of good and evil. . .[a] wise, lyrical novel." --San Francisco Chronicle
"Witty, disturbing and memorable. . .smart, astringent, and marvelously upsetting." --The New York Times Book Review
"[A] complex story, probing deeper questions of good and evil. . ..Mantel is an acute observer, fearless in exploring difficult subjects wherever they may lead her." --The Washington Post Book World
"A darkly humorous book...encapsulating the push and pull between emotion and repression, self-sacrifice and self-deception, pragmatism and confusion, goodness and evil." --Los Angeles Times
"Witty, disturbing and memorable. . .smart, astringent, and marvelously upsetting." --The New York Times Book Review
"[A] complex story, probing deeper questions of good and evil. . ..Mantel is an acute observer, fearless in exploring difficult subjects wherever they may lead her." --The Washington Post Book World
"A darkly humorous book...encapsulating the push and pull between emotion and repression, self-sacrifice and self-deception, pragmatism and confusion, goodness and evil." --Los Angeles Times
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Mary Whipple
Format:Paperback
When asked, rhetorically, by his sister, "Whatever happened to the dinosaurs?", Ralph, the main character responds, "Their habitat altered...A change of climate." In his rebellion against his parents, their closed, religiously fundamentalist point of view, and his father's financial blackmailing regarding his career choices, Ralph intentionally changes his physical habitat and his climate by escaping to South Africa with his bride.
Working as a lay person at a mission and vigorously opposing apartheid, Ralph and Anna eventually are imprisoned, then banished to Bechuanaland, now Botswana. It is here that the savagery which creates a permanent and terrible climate in their marriage occurs, a savagery not limited to one race as Ralph and Anna had perceived in South Africa.
As the story bounces from the present in England back twenty years to Africa, the reader lives through the vivid and terrible African experiences and simultaneously sees how they have permeated the lives of these good, but often naïve, people. Both Ralph and Anna have rejected the traditional religion of their parents in favor of doing good deeds in their family lives and through a social service trust. But as Ralph's uncle James points out, "There is nothing so appallingly hard...as the business of being human."
While the reader cheers as James grows and eventually embraces life, s/he also fears for Anna, who remains emotionally closed, despite her good deeds, fearful that she "should lose everything, one of these days." As the events resolve themselves and the "competition in goodness" comes to an end, we see real humans trying to put aside the petrified past and to change the climate of their lives, and we will, perhaps, evaluate our own lives. Can we accept change, or are we dinosaurs at heart?
By Rob Anderson
Format:Paperback
"A Change of Climate" begins like a Jane Austen comedy of manners: close observation of the social rituals which enable people to not speak the through. Even some of the characters (Ralph's and Anna's parents, for example) seem taken from a 19th century novelistic description of religious fanatics. It is not long, however, before th novel leaves Austen in the dust--and blood. I found the novel to be intellectually stimulating--is it possible to be good?--and profoundly disturbing. I think the novel is perfect for bookclubs. I am looking forward to reading "The Giant O'Brien" and "An Experiment in Love."
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
A lot of American readers may be put off by the rather dryly literate writing style of this British writer, but I would urge them to stick it out for a deep and true read, with an ending that is uplifting, but as painful and complex as life itself. As one who grew up with the benefit of an idealistic liberal education and travelled the world widely and deeply, and like the protoganists of this book found that the almost diefied third world races are no less free of the capacity to do evil than white westerners, this novel had a brave ring of truth. In fact, it is so against the grain that I'm surprised it wasn't condemned by the liberal elites who write most of the book reviews. A different view of the missionary experience, as well as Mantel's classical prose and subtly unfolding plot make an interesting antidote to the simplistically politically correct and gimmickally narrated bestseller, Barbara Kinsolver's "The Poisonwood Bible." This is one of the few books I've read in recent years that had something new and original to say.
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4.3 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
British Sensibilities
Save your money. Or, if you need to spend it, buy plain yogurt -- you will find the bland white stuff much more exciting than this novel. Read more
Published on July 9 2001
4.0 out of 5 stars
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
The Literary Review mentions this book's compassion and intellectual energy. While I have no argument with the latter, "compassion" is the very antithesis of this dark... Read more
Published on April 26 1998
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great book!
A Change of Climate is a wonderful book. Hilary Mantel examines issues such as love, faith, and fidelity through the lives of Ralph and Anna Eldred. Read more
Published on Sep 30 1997
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Change of Climate evokes a climate for change.
When asked, rhetorically, by his sister, "Whatever happened to the dinosaurs?", Ralph, the main character responds, "Their habitat altered... Read more
Published on Aug 20 1997 by Mary Whipple
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