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Rating: 
- Absolutely Brilliant
This book is two stories, which eventually become entwined into one. One story is about a woman living in a farmhouse in Italy. You find out how her life changed after the war and the memories she tried to forget about a personal tragedy. The other story is about a group of English 'friends' staying in a secluded building in the Italian countryside trying to find answers for the tragic death of someone close to them. Each story has one character from whose point of view we see the proceedings, whose memories we observe and whose communications with the other characters allow us to see how the past tragedies have effected each of these characters as individuals.
The descriptions of the surroundings are vivid, whether they are describing the peaceful Italian countryside or London at rush hour, so much so, that when one is being described, the other doesn't really seem to exist.
The reader is drawn into both plots with a combination of flashbacks and events in the present time (spanning one week). The flashbacks are cleverly done and reveal more questions than answers until the end when it all comes together.
The ending is perfect - neither rushed nor drawn out. I don't want to give away too much about the ending but it left me with a warm glow and the feeling that everything was going to turn out well for the characters... except the 'bad guy' who would hopefully not have such an easy life!
- Absolutely BrilliantThis book is two stories, which eventually become entwined into one. One story is about a woman living in a farmhouse in Italy. You find out how her life changed after the war and the memories she tried to forget about a personal tragedy. The other story is about a group of English 'friends' staying in a secluded building in the Italian countryside trying to find answers for the tragic death of someone close to them. Each story has one character from whose point of view we see the proceedings, whose memories we observe and whose communications with the other characters allow us to see how the past tragedies have effected each of these characters as individuals.
The descriptions of the surroundings are vivid, whether they are describing the peaceful Italian countryside or London at rush hour, so much so, that when one is being described, the other doesn't really seem to exist.
The reader is drawn into both plots with a combination of flashbacks and events in the present time (spanning one week). The flashbacks are cleverly done and reveal more questions than answers until the end when it all comes together.
The ending is perfect - neither rushed nor drawn out. I don't want to give away too much about the ending but it left me with a warm glow and the feeling that everything was going to turn out well for the characters... except the 'bad guy' who would hopefully not have such an easy life!