From Publishers Weekly
In these 12 stories, whose protagonists represent a wide range of voices, ages and social classes, Beattie effectively conveys their epiphanies, though at times she carries subtlety to extremes.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Most of these 12 stories are quick studies of the lives of middle-class Americans caught in the kind of self-examination that exposes the frailties and limitations of their perceptions. In the title story, a boy gains a new and disturbing sense of his dead father's identity through the contemplation of loss. "Installation #6" is about the difference between objective and subjective reality. In it an artist has his handyman brother tape record "some thoughts you can listen to" to be played in the gallery where his construction is on display. The monolog thus becomes both a part of and a commentary on the artist's work. Next, against a sensuous Mediterranean backdrop, a woman vacationing with her husband faces the shortcomings of their relationship in "In Amalfi." This well-crafted and readable collection should appeal to fans of Beattie's other work.
- Francis Poole, Univ. of Dela ware, NewarkCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
