Product Description

A poignant story of marriage, divorce - and stepchildren.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31302 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From the Back Cover
'She can be as subtle as Austen, as shape as Brontë. Trollope's brilliant' Mail on Sunday

For eight-year-old Rufus, life has become complicated. His parents, Josie and Tom, have divorced and are setting off on separate paths. But now, other people have had to become involved - like his mother's new husband Matthew and his father's new friend Elizabeth. What's even worse is that there are the other children too - Matthew's three teenagers, who have been conditioned by their mother Nadine to hate his mother Josie.

Matthew's children come to their father for weekends and make it clear how much they loathe their new stepmother. Rufus secretly prefers to be with his father, in his peaceful flat in Bath, where he realizes that he doesn't actually hate the idea of a stepmother if she is like Elizabeth, sane and friendly and welcoming. But where other people's children are concerned, neat solutions seldom occur...

'A gripping read - as shrewdly observant of psychological and domestic detail as anything she has written' Daily Telegraph

'Trollope has shown herself capable of such emotional depth, that although you turn the pages quickly, it is with trembling fingers' The Times

About the Author
Joanna Trollope is the author of eagerly awaited and sparklingly readable novels often centred around the domestic nuaunces and dilemmas of life in present-day England. She has also written a number of historical novels and Britannia’s Daughters, a study of women in the British Empire.
Joanna Trollope was born in Gloucestershire and now lives in London. She was appointed OBE in the 1996 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature.

Customer Reviews

Seen from All Sides
I've never given much thought to the subject of step families, but it's true to say that in the present day they are part of everyday life and no longer the exception. This story was a real eye opener to me as Joanna Trollope not only viewed the problems, but viewed them from all perspectives. I can't believe that one reviewer stated that he couldn't empathise with any of the characters and found the story 'weird'. As a wife and mother myself, I found I could empathise with them all! The author has done a wonderful job. I would thoroughly recommend this book, especially to existing members of step-families, because I'm sure the author has portrayed problems that they may well be able to identify with.

True to life and an excellent read
I have read almost all of Trollope's novels and this novel is so true. It explicitly exposes the raw feelings of betrayal, confusion, and rejection after a marriage break up. Trollope doesn't provide fairy tale endings, but she does help her characters move in on their lives. That's not to say this is a pessimistic book, it's moving and has a lot of love. Her characters are so real, and I especially loved the touching bond between calm,dignified,Elizabeth and her future stepson. Contrast her character with vengeful, selfish Nadine who is drowning in self pity rather than caring for her children or giving a thought as to how her behaviour affects them. My parents divorced when I was young and the atmosphere of rowing behind closed doors is all too potently described here. Trollope provides an understanding and explanation for all her characters, explaining their bad behaviour without excusing it. This is real life. It's well told, and it's a book I often return to. Thoroughly recommended !!!

poignant
This book was recommended to me by a friend after I had revealed my own current, personal dilema. After reading other reviews by readers on Amazon, the contrast of opinions alone gave me the impetus to read this book. I can understand those who described the characters as "cardboard cut-outs" or simply as a strange tale. I am experiencing a very-near circumstance as depicted so painfully closely in this book, and even in reality, the whole picture takes on an "unreal" feel. "Can this be really happening or am I paranoid?" I find myself wondering.

An easy-read. Very, very perceptive of the true nature of real characters..... the games people play.... where the end justifies the means.

Frighteningly poignant. A must-read for anyone going thru these experiences but especially a must-read for co-dependent fathers/daughters.