Facing the Light [Hardcover]

Adele Geras (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 23, 2004

Set in a splendid country house in England, this rich and absorbing novel begins as Leonora, daughter of a famous Edwardian painter, is about to throw herself a huge house party to celebrate her 75th birthday. Guests will include her two grown daughters and their spouses (and lovers), a film crew making a movie about Leonora's father, and numerous family legends. Even happy families have their secrets, and Leonora's stunning revelations make for thrilling reading.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Adele Geras and Facing the Light

"Facing the Light is a story of a family and its secrets, of love and loss, of memories and dreams. Haunting, lovely, and utterly absorbing, it's just the sort of book I'm always searching for, but rarely find."
--Jennifer Donnelly, author of The Tea Rose

"Engaging family drama . . . Adele Geras gifts each key player with a distinct personality that remains consistent throughout . . . .The story line hooks the audience"
--Midwest Book Review

"Facing the Light is a great summer summer read filled with interesting characters and situations--plus a lot of surprises."
--Emily McDonald, Chattanooga Times Free Press (Cattanooga, TN)

"[L]ifelike characters"
--Romantic Times Book Club

"The evident enjoyment and ease with which the author manipulates her material will give a lot of pleasure. Sympathetic and experienced, she knows just how to balance character with story and how to lure readers into her web."
--Elizabeth Buchan, The London Sunday Times (UK)

"Thankfully, Geras has not seen fit to jettison the techniques mastered in years of writing for a more demanding young audience. Plot and moral message ring clear, and her adult characters, like teenage protagonists, feel the need to come of age; although they grow and change by grasping the nature of the past rather than by figuring out the present."
--Helen Falconer, The Guardian (UK)

"Geras certainly knows how to create a storm of tension in a rose-painted fine china teacup . . . .her readers will feel they've joined in search of answers to a host of intriguing, irresitible questions."
--Madelaine Kingsley, Jewish Chronicle (UK)

"An enjoyable and entertaining read from an accomplished storyteller"
--Time Out (UK)

"A hugely enjoyable read, the perfect accompaniment to lazing in a bubble bath after a hard day at the office. If you like Wesley and Howard, or Binchy and Pilcher, you will love this book . . .Geras's publishers' faith is right--this is about as good as popular fiction gets."
--The Scotsman (UK)

"I became completely absorbed in the world of Willow Court and the lives of Leonora and her family. Adele Geras has created a wonderful cast of glamorous yet recognisable characters who beckon you into their world, full of sibling rivalry, romantic love affairs and tragically short lives. Moving and absorbing, this is the perfect book to lose yourself in."
--Zoe Winfield, BCA (UK)

"Secrets and revelations are the order of the day in this gripping novel. Don't be put off by the family-saga tag--you'll be hooked from the start, and when you've finished, you'll wish you hadn't."
--Company (****) (UK)

"A compelling read with truly delightful characters, many memorable moments and a stunning twist."
--Jane Eastgate, Readers Digest (UK)

"Long-hidden secrets and passions come tumbling from the closet, changing the way family members perceive themselves and others. Geras assuredly draws the reader into this deeply involving Grade A saga, which has a grip that's impossible to shake off"
--Fanny Blake, Woman & Home (UK)

"The book's appeal is partly in the twisting storyline and partly in the shameless escapism of the milieu . . . constant sunshine, a beautiful house and garden, enviable clothes and delicious food served at every opportunity."
--City Life (UK)

0"This is very much a big women's novel--a family story the publishers are comparing to The Shell Seekers and The Cazalet Chronicle. I found it fascinating reading, set in a splendid country house in Wiltshire and covering the years from 1935 to the present. Lots of secrets emerge, and it all makes a wonderful story full of enchantment. I think it will sell like hotcakes ."
--Publishing News, December 13, 2002 (UK)

About the Author

Adele Geras was born in Jerusalem. Her first book appeared in 1976, and since then she has published many acclaimed books for children and young people, both here and in England. Facing the Light is her first book for adult readers. She lives in Manchester with her husband, and they have two daughters.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (April 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031231826X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312318260
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,239,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Jerusalem in 1944 and educated at Roedean School, Brighton and St Hilda's college, Oxford.
I've been writing books for children and young adults since 1976 and have published more than 90 titles.
I've also written four adult novels, published by Orion Books.
My website is at http://www.adelegeras.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not fascinating unfortunately. A Family Saga for passing time., March 28, 2007

By 

Guillermo Amaro "& Ninoska Titinger" (Lima, PERU) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Facing the Light (Hardcover)

I usually feel compelled to read until I drop but it definitely didn't happen this time around with Geras' book.

I loved her book "Hester" so I felt like getting this novel but it didn't cut it for me.

It's slow, monotonous, and utterly simple. The book's appeal is partly in the twisting storyline and partly in the shameless escapism of the milieu . . . constant sunshine, a beautiful house and garden, enviable clothes and delicious food served at every opportunity but there was no gripping character to save the day.

It's just a book to pass the time if you get stuck in the airport for 8 hours or so.

Not splendid, just average.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Reading this book is a lot like getting a root canal..., July 20, 2006

By 

Julia Woodman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Facing the Light (Hardcover)

I bought this book because the jacket said, "if you like Binchy..you will love this book." This book is painful to read. For example, half of the characters have ridiculous nicknames that need to be explained. Even the CATS have nicknames that the author feels compelled to explain. Who cares?!

Characters you don't care about, inane dialogue, cumbersome story line--it's all there if you'd like to make yourself miserable for a few hours.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars engaging family drama, March 27, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Facing the Light (Hardcover)

Her two daughters, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren are arriving at Willow Court to celebrate the seventy-fifth birthday of the family matriarch Leonora Simmonds. While her kin pays homage to her, TV film director Sean Everard is doing a special on Leonora's father, renowned Edwardian painter Edwin Walsh.

As undercurrents swirl amidst the gathering family, Leonora dreams of being eight years old back in 1935 when she was sick with the measles and her mother died. Her dream is different than her memories. Soon other events as she remembers them begin to unravel and a dark secret surfaces that if revealed will change a family basking in legendary fame to one hiding in shame.

This engaging family drama uses a cast that would please De Mille, but author Adele Geras gifts each key player with a distinct personality that remains consistent throughout. Though the pace is quite leisurely, the story line hooks the audience from the moment that Rilla knows she is coming home to see her mom and her sister. The plot never lets go until the final revelations about the past and present emerge leaving the extended Simmonds brood and the audience in shock.

Harriet Klausner