Julia (english piano teacher) and James (american doctor) live together in London with Gwen, 15 (her daughter) and Nathan, 17 (his son). He has an older daughter, Saskia, who lives in the States with her mother. Julia's husband died of cancer 5 years before. Gwen doesn't like the new men in the house, but then, as a consequence of her dog dying, she and Nathan kiss and Nathan dumps his Oxford-bound girlfriend.
Iris and Philip (the parents of Julia's late husband) are separated, though they meet and phone often, and still have a joint account. Plain-speaking Iris had advised Julia to sleeping around (like she did) rather than remarry.
When Gwen and Nathan are caught hugging, they hint that they've done more than that. Gwen tells her mother that it's none of her business - after all, her mother didn't keep her up to date on her sexual activity. Gwen feels abandoned, that only Nathan cares, and he's at boarding school during the week. Gwen becomes pregnant. She decides to keep the baby - so she can be the centre of attention? So she has someone to love? There are tensions when Julia and James at heart side with their own children. I guessed (correctly) that the adults would come to terms with the situation then there'd be a miscarriage.
Meanwhile, Iris suddenly downsides. While clearing the house, she and Gwen discover baby clothes belonging to Gwen's late father. Later it emerges that she's downsizing to be closer to frail Philip. But when Philip learns that she'd lied to him years before, he starts seeing Joan. He takes her to visit the family. Joan and Gwen get on. Iris moves to France.
Gwen gives Nathan space while he revises for exams. He's not very interested in her after. Julia's not impressed. Julia and James see him snogging another girl.
In an untypical passage, James and Julia are walking home when they pass female athletes practicing. Julia's eyes catch on a girl who reminds her of someone. The girl's trying to trap her loose curls. Julia stops because she want to see the girl running. James feels awkward staring at girls in shorts so they walk on. They hear the starting gun go off.
Julia decides that James must hate Gwen as much as she hates Nathan. She feels she can only bring up Gwen properly if Julia beings her up alone.
A year later, having separated, James and Julia meet by chance. They both have strong feeling for each other, but it's too late.
A character "smiled to herself" - a common expression in novels, but I don't like it.
Other reviews
- Alice O'Keeffe (while appreciating its artistry, I can’t love this book. The detail is spot on, and yet it lacks a sense of the bigger picture, of the events in the wider world that might play, too, on the emotional landscape ... It is a jarring omission in an otherwise skilfully crafted morality tale for our times.)
- Hermione Hob
- Kirkus review
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