Synopses & Reviews
A decent, harried young banker, already on the verge of distraction, hurries north to Scotland and his mysteriously troubled sister...
A "foreign" mother struggles to make a home for her family in a society she only vaguely comprehends...
A baby girl is abandoned in a bus-station rest room...
And thus five lives and more are caught up in a binding net of affection and responsibility, of sibling loyalty, romantic longing, and maternal love.
Review
"Margot Livesey has woven her own spellbinding and wholly believable narrative by adopting the kind of authorial omniscience favored by 19th-century writers but less commonly used in contemporary fiction....[A] wonderful novel, impeccably written and thoroughly engrossing." Greg Johnson, The New York Times Book Review
Review
"Livesey maintains a low-key style that perfectly matches the way ordinary lives can slip into chaos; her elegantly simple prose, her control of pacing and characterization and her insights into human behavior combine to produce a fascinating narrative." Publishers Weekly
Review
"One of the most surprising thrillers of the year completely offbeat, unexpected and unique. Margot Livesey is right up there in the realm of P.D. James." Newsday
Review
"Splendidly realized characters engaged in complex, very human dilemmas inhabit the heart of a rich narrative. Beautifully written, this remarkably inventive fiction satisfies on all counts. An essential addition for fiction collections, by a masterful storyteller." Alice Joyce, Booklist
Review
"Livesey's feverishly paced tale, which ranges from Scotland to America to Italy, is recommended for fiction collections." Library Journal