A beautifully-written and acutely-observed novel of relationships, of ordinary lives under extraordinary pressures. Disgraced Tory politician, Max, is unable to shake off the whiff of scandal following the suspicious death of his best friend's wife. His daughter, Maggie, believes she witnessed something which confirms Max's guilt - but she has told no one what she saw that terrible night. Max's mother, Nanda, living an unconventional life in a ramshackle cottage in Gloucestershire, observes it all with the detachment of one who is nearing her death. As these three characters move through a crucial few months, events unfold in their alternating voices, and so the truth behind the headlines gradually emerges. In this assured and acute observation of ordinary lives under extraordinary pressure, the author explores the complex nature of the bond between mother and son, father and daughter, and examines what happens when that bond is stretched to breaking point and the most basic loyalties are called into question. It makes for an absorbing, unsettling and moving read.
- ISBN10 074345071X
- ISBN13 9780743450713
- Publish Date 5 July 2003
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 30 June 2010
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Simon & Schuster
- Imprint Pocket Books
- Format Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
- Pages 352
- Language English