- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (Jan 10 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0312269951
- ISBN-13: 978-0312269951
- Product Dimensions: 24.1 x 16.5 x 2.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 771 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,422,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
ilcher's sophomore and sophomoric effort (after his New York Times bestselling An Ocean Apart) is all about second chances: second chances for romance, of course, but also for loving relationships between fathers and sons. The central soap revolves around Liz Dewhurst, now living on the family farm in the Scottish coastal village of Fife, following the bustup of her 18-year marriage. Potential love interests include an older Canadian professor who becomes her boarder, his estranged son, and Gregor, Liz's adulterous ex, who's always hovering around the sidelines. Meanwhile, the future of the farm is in question, with developers threatening to build a golf course in its place. Clunky storytelling, unlikely dialogue from characters who speechify rather than speak ("You can't change destiny, lass. You can't get your pebble back once you've thrown it") and a lack of tension are prime culprits in leaching the pleasure from a book presented as the novelistic equivalent of easy-listening music. Gregor is the closest thing to a villain here, but even he is a decent sort at heart. Furthermore, American readers may find it hard to credence American characters made to say things like, "I was just being bloody-minded." Although the last line of the book suggests otherwise ("Life does have a funny way of throwing up the least-expected things"), there's nothing unexpected here. (Jan.)Forecast: The same readers who made An Ocean Apart a bestseller (especially fans of Rosamunde Pilcher, the author's mother) may do so again. Judging by the 100,000-copy first printing, national advertising campaign and author tour, St. Martin's expects so.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The family farm is about to go under, but at least divorcee Liz has an attractive older man as a boarder. With a charming Scottish setting, of course.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
"Come on, Leckie!" she called out, shrugging the strap of the basket higher onto her shoulder and scanning the hedgerow for the Jack Russell terrier. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
"Come on, Leckie!" she called out, shrugging the strap of the basket higher onto her shoulder and scanning the hedgerow for the Jack Russell terrier. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Trite Waste of Time,
By A Customer
This review is from: Starting Over (Mass Market Paperback)
Robin Pilcher's first book, "An Ocean Apart" was one of the best books I had read in a long time. I was glad to find this one. What a waste! Badly written. Pilcher's character's have all been in other books. Some of the scenarios are laughable. The love interest knocking on Liz' door at a hotel pretending to be a bellboy and then leaning up against the doorframe when she opens it is written to melt our hearts but appears sophmoric. The book is overall very wholesome until you get towards the end when Will encourages Liz to use the "F" word to get out her frustrations, so she does to a point of ridiculousness. Then, she is encouraged by a woman they meet to have sex with Will because it brings healing and SHE KNOWS because she cheated on her husband and now things are wonderful. A silly book that had potential, but Pilcher tries too hard and needs to be more original.
5.0 out of 5 stars
SURPRISES SPICED WITH ROMANCE,
By
This review is from: Starting Over (Mass Market Paperback)
Aptly titled, the story is all about beginning again. Now living on her family's farm in a small Scottish town, 38-year-old Liz Dewhurst is reeling from the disintegration of her marriage. But not to worry, a broken heart may be mended when Liz takes in a boarder - a handsome older man, Arthur Kempler, a professor at her son's school.True to the Pilcher program (which the author's mother novelist Rosamunde Pilcher mines so successfully) complications develop. The farm is on the verge of bankruptcy; developers want to turn it into a posh golf course. This is a fate that Liz's father, a fifth generation farmer, cannot countenance. The betraying Gregor, Liz's ex husband, with his filly of the moment in tow shows up to lobby for the golf course as he owns adjoining property. What conundrums - if Liz turns down the tempting financial offer town folk will be unhappy as they perceive the golf course to be an asset. However, if she accepts it, she will be helping Gregor and his new lady friend. When Arthur invites Liz to join him on holiday in Spain, she accepts. There is much more than the Prado in Spain as the pair soon discover when they meet someone that neither of them expected to see. Surprises spiced with romance make "Starting Over" entertaining listening.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Second chances,
By
This review is from: Starting Over (Mass Market Paperback)
Liz Dewhurst feels as if her world is falling apart. Her husband has left her for another woman, her mother has died, and the farm which has been in her family for 150 years is being threatened with foreclosure. Her son Alex is estranged from his father and feels a keen responsibility for his mother and widowed grandfather. A developer appears and proposes to create a golf course on the property belonging to Liz and her ex-husband. Liz is opposed to this, but financially it seems to be the only solution to her problems. Alex tries to help by bringing his German teacher, Arthur, home as a boarder. Although Liz and her father are not too pleased by this arrangement at first, they soon grow fond of their new boarder.Arthur is estranged from his son due to past indiscretions and needs a travel companion to replace the son who refuses to go with his wayward father. Liz is persuaded to go, and she embarks on a voyage of self-discovery as well as investigating a new culture. Pilcher makes some statements about love and loyalty which are important although some may disagree with him. This is a pleasant read with a gentle message.
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