This tale of a British family on vacation in Italy is as notable for what doesn't happen as what does. Lorna, the wife, mystified by her husband's physical and emotional distance, is tempted by a rakish Italian. The husband, literally sick at heart, spends a chaste night with an independent young woman who, in turn, is fancied by the family's son. A disgruntled druggie disables her father's car in hopes of inheriting his money. Boyd masterfully exploits the tension in these and other situations. Her clear diction ensures that you won't miss a word. And rather than changing voices, she gives each character personality with pace, timbre, and emotional energy--the angst of a teenager or the peevishness of the villa's owner. Sutherland is better known in the UK than Stateside, but don't let unfamiliarity discourage you. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
edition.
From the Back Cover
Every summer the Blair family went to Italy - to the villa in the Gardens, a lush wilderness of cypress trees and bougainvillea tumbling down to the sea. Phoebe, who owned the villa and lived close by, loved the Blairs - of all her summer guests they were the ones who gave meaning to her life. She was possessive, enigmatic, manipulative, but Will and Lorna never really minded - until the fifth summer.
Something was wrong even before they arrived. There was a tension, a distance between Lorna and Will, something strange that Lorna could not quite define. The children were equally off-balance - Debbie overweight and rebellious, Fergus tortured and falling in love for the first time. And into this uneasy gathering of friends, family, and lovers, burst Bruno Andreotti, handsome, greedy, selfish, much loved by women but giving nothing of himself to any of them. Bruno was to prove the catalyst that blew the fifth summer apart, making Will and Lorna and the two children reassess and finally rebuild the structure of their lives.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
