Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Apr 2007
304 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
At the age of 29, Sydney has already been once divorced and once widowed. Trying to regain her footing once again, she has answered an ad to tutor the teenage daughter of a well to-do couple as they spend a sultry summer in their oceanfront New Hampshire cottage. But when the Edwards' two grown sons, Ben and Jeff, arrive at the beach house, Sydney finds herself caught up in a destructive web of old tensions and bitter divisions. As the brothers vie for her affections, the fragile existence Sydney has rebuilt for herself is threatened.
"Shreve's omniscience is asserted with such ease that it often feels like she's toying with her characters, but her control is masterful, particularly in the sure-handed and compassionate aftermath." - PW.
"The ever-skillful Shreve delivers yet another gripping read that will satisfy her many fans and earn her some new ones."- Booklist.
"Shreve's beautifully drawn tale of family and connection will leave readers feeling a bit slammed themselves: against the vagaries of life and the rocky shoals of love. A winner; highly recommended." - Library Journal.
"Not one of this crowd-pleasing author's best, but a solid, workmanlike B-plus effort. " - Kirkus.
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Anita Shreve grew up in Dedham, Massachusetts. Her approimately 20 novels include The Pilot's Wife, The Weight of
Water, Eden Close, Strange Fits of Passion, Where or When, and Resistance.
Anita Shreve began writing fiction while working as a high school teacher after graduating from Tufts University.
Although one of her first published stories, "Past the Island,
Drifting," was awarded an O. Henry Prize in 1975, Shreve felt she couldn't
make a living as a fiction writer so she became a journalist. She traveled to
Africa and spent three years in Kenya, writing articles that appeared in
magazines such as Quest, US, and Newsweek. Back in the United
States, she turned to raising her children and writing freelance articles for
magazines. Shreve later expanded two of these ...
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