by Lily King
First published 2005
Vida Avery has cocooned herself and her son on an isolated island, teaching the classics. But her prescribed life shatters when she accepts a marriage proposal from a widower. As Vida rereads Tess of the D'Urbervilles, its themes of social injustice echo in her own life, and her son sees his indomitable mother collapsing. Vida must confront the past that has defined her and make a choice that will alter their future.
Genres: 20th-century, 21st-century, contemporary-romance, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, family-drama, social-commentary
Setting: New England
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
244 pages · Hardcover · Atlantic Monthly Press