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'An exceptional debut'. Novel - Paperback Original

Allio's first novel received a starred review from Publishers Weekly who described it as 'an exceptional debut'.  The reviewer's only caveat being that 'Allio's finely wrought writing - Frances has "a laugh of leaves," while Heald's wife muses that "the evening was what one married for"—just barely overshadows a narrative that turns suspenseful in its final third'.

I found the first third of the book (part of which you can browse at BookBrowse) hard to follow as it intersperses elements of the storyline with historical musings from the postman and various other characters, and I wasn't entirely sure what I was supposed to be taking out of it all.  However, on finishing the second section (which is written in a more linear style) I went back and read some of the first part and felt I had a better grasp on the story.  Overall, a very interesting first novel from a writer to watch, and one that should be of special interest to anyone living in New Hampshire.

This review first ran in the September 14, 2005 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.

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