Synopses & Reviews
New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice made her triumphant debut with this delicately drawn but emotionally powerful portrait of a womans extraordinary journey of the heart and soul-a timeless story of love, sisterhood, and the hope that emerges even out of heartbreak....
Una Cavan doesnt believe in ghosts. But ghosts seem to believe in her. At least, her fathers ghost does, walking into and out of her life as casually as if he were entering and exiting a room. Una has always believed the Cavan women had the power of witches, and from the beaches of Connecticut to the bustle of New York City theyve shared the special unbreakable bond of sisters. No man has been able to come between them…until Lily marries the “perfect” man and begins to drift away and Margo gets engaged. With another failed relationship behind her, and a thriving career as an actress ahead of her, Una wonders if shes destined to be alone-or if there isnt something more, something magical that life has in store for her. Then an unexpected encounter gives her the answer shes been seeking….
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Synopsis
Una Cavan, an actress in soap operas, looks back on her relationship with her father, whose ghost has begun to visit her, as she meets Sam, the man of her dreams and gets a chance to star in a film by Europe's hottest director, in a new edition of the debut novel by the best-selling author. Reprint.
About the Author
1. What was the effect of the author's note? What did you discover about the development of Luanne Rice's writing career?
2. Why might Una be the only Cavan sister to report having visions of her father? How would you characterize her memories of him? What did he teach her about life and love?
3. What did you discover about Una, Margo, and Lily during the August summer that opens the novel? What does that precious period of freedom reveal about their true selves?
4. What accounts for Lily's attraction to Henk? What choices would you have made if you had been in her shoes? How would you react if a close friend or sibling married someone so controlling?
5. Una frequently worries that she should have taken her father's advice and stayed at Julliard. What are the benefits and limitations of her life as a soap star? How does she view the notion of being an artist, and cultivating the passion for art shared by the women in her family?
6. Una tells Joe that family, scholarship, and chastity were drummed into her as she was growing up. What are the defining cultural traits of Joe's family? What did Una hope for in a relationship with him?
7. What is the dynamic among Una and her siblings? Do they share an equal balance of influence?
8. How does your level of trust compare to Una's? Is she too cautious about men, and too protective of her family, or is she not careful enough?
9. Discuss Una's friendship with Jason. How do his experiences with love compare to Una's? Does their soap storyline mirror their lives at all, or does it simply provide them with an income (and sometimes with comic relief)?
10. Flying overseas on the Concorde, Una has mixed feelings about her European tour. What turning points occur during the trip? What enables her to navigate such an extravagant world without becoming superficial?
11. Discuss the narrative style of the novel. What techniques does Luanne Rice use to create vivid scenery, realistic dialogue, and memorable characters? What advantages might there have been in the first-person narration? How would you describe Una's voice, and her outlook on life?
12. What qualities make Sam such an ideal guy? Was he right to object to Emile's presence at Thanksgiving? Do he and Una have a healthy approach to conflict?
13. How does Una's mother compare to yours? Do you believe that most daughters perpetuate the personalities and ideals of their mothers?
14. How did the time period affect Angels All Over Town? What aspects of family and relationships haven't changed at all since the book was first published? What details, such as the role of handwritten letters rather than transatlantic e-mails, mark a change in eras? Would this chapter of Una's life have played out any differently in the twenty-first century?
15. Discuss the book's title. Who are Una's angels? For whom does she serve as an angel?
16. What themes were begun in this novel and portrayed in other ways throughout Luanne Rice's later work? What hopes and transformations are captured in her fiction?