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| Corvus An Imprint of Atlantic Books 2014 |
One House. Two Families.
A Lifetime of Secrets.
The story opens in 1981 as two
families gather at the house named Fourwinds, to celebrate the marriage of Alice
and Ralph's son, Nicky, to Patricia and Peter's daughter, Sarah. However, when
Sarah goes missing just days before the wedding, family secrets which have been
long buried threaten to overwhelm the happiness, not just of the young couple
about to be married but also of the older couples, whose shared connection to
the past, threatens the happiness of future generations.
The story evolves between 1981
Derbyshire and 1930’s Spain with effortless ease and the consummate skill of
the author ensures that all time frames have equal importance with none trying
to outshine the other. We learn of the connection between Alice and Peter as we
flit into and out of the great country houses of England and yet juxtaposed is
the less salubrious evidence of working class ambition. Ralph’s eventful
childhood in 1930s Valencia is gorgeous, and succulent with the heat and tempestuousness
of a country on the brink of war. As the story moves to the eventful years of
the Second World War, the connection between the characters becomes more
evident and secrets start to emerge with shattering consequences.
Initially, the book gets off to a
slow start which I think reflects rather well, as there is much to take in,
both with the different characters who flit into and out of the story, and with
the complexity of the settings, which are all described in wonderful detail. The
evolution of the story is done with a deft hand by an author who knows and understands
how to control a complicated plot and who by the end of the novel has delivered
a wonderful family drama with an entirely appropriate ending.
I really enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed it.
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