First published 2003
Tess sits with her husband Jerry in their country estate Arcadia, waiting tensely for the police to arrive. As the minutes tick by, she reflects on recent events and the two women who have shaped her life. Tess, Maddy, and Rita are friends in their early fifties who met decades ago working in a Dublin office before marriage. They maintained their bond through the years, raised families, achieved comfortable lives, and spent summers together with their families in southern France. This year proves different. Each woman faces serious problems with her husband. The three friends take turns sharing their stories about their lives, their children, and the marriage troubles that have brought them to this crisis point. Their longtime friendship becomes both refuge and mirror as they confront the realities of their relationships.
Genres: literary-fiction, friendship, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: Arcadia, Dublin, France
Period: recent-events
Hardcover · Ulverscroft Large Print Bks.