Gentle Stranger (Curley Large Print Books) [Large Print] [Paperback]

Charlotte Vale Allen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1992 | Series: Curley Large Print Books

When her photographer daughter, Emma, dies as a result of being beaten and raped, Jacqueline Evannier's peaceful life is thrown into complete turmoil. In her grief, she accepts the consolation and affection offered by Phil Aylmer who happened to be on the scene of Emma's attack.

The loss of her only child sends Jacqueline -- a former prima ballerina of international renown -- down an entirely unexpected path. While continuing to need the solace offered by Phil Aylmer, she is becoming an activist: trying to change the way the police deal with rape cases.

She is also forced to re-examine every aspect of her life, from her casual, ongoing relationships with several, very different, men; to the less than satisfactory aspects of her experiences with Phil Aylmer and his troubled son.

This is an exploration of a woman coming to terms with her entire history and her efforts to make changes both inside and outside of herself.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 262 pages
• Publisher: John Curley & Assoc (June 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792709713
• ISBN-13: 978-0792709718
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,338,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charlotte Vale-Allen was born in Toronto and lived in England from 1961 to 1964 where she worked as a television actress and singer. She returned to Toronto briefly, performing as a singer until she emigrated to the US in 1966. She sold her first novel Love Life in 1974. Prior to this book's publication she contracted to do a series of paperback originals, with the result that in 1976 three of her books appeared in print. Her autobiography, the acclaimed Daddy's Girl, was actually the first book she wrote but it wasn't until 1980, after she'd gained success as a novelist, that the groundbreaking book was finally published. One of Canada's most successful novelists, with over seven million copies sold of her 39 books, Ms. Allen's work has been published in all English-speaking countries, in Braille, and have been translated into more than 20 languages. The mother of an adult daughter and grandmother of twins, since 1970 she has made her home in Connecticut.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth reading, February 8, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Gentle Stranger (Paperback)

I have to disagree strongly with the reviewer who claimed that this story lacks credibility. In point of fact, it has enormous credibility. In times of loss and grief, people are prone to do things that later they can scarcely believe they did. That is precisely the case in Gentle Stranger when, in the grip of overwhelming sorrow at the loss of her only child, the heroine goes into the arms of a man she doesn't know, seeking comfort and forgetfulness. Given that this book was written almost twenty-five years ago, it was very forward-thinking for the era. As is true of most of Allen's novels, she was dealing with important women's issues at a time when only "literary" novels purported to offer serious perspectives on matters such as rape. In some ways, this novel has a timeless aspect. And it still holds up well, even after all this time.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Famous Ballerina Takes Younger Man as Lover, August 6, 2001

By 

Jill Clardy "So many books, so little time...." (Redwood City, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gentle Stranger (Paperback)

Emma is attacked, raped and brutally beaten on the streets, and moments after her attackers fled, she was found by a passing stranger, Phil Aylmer. She is incoherent and distraught but is afraid to go to the police, so Phil Aylmer takes her home to clean her up and tend to her wounds. He calls her mother, Jacqueline Evannier, who comes over immediately. Sadly, Emma dies in her mother's arms. Jacqueline is grief stricken and turns to the arms of Phil for consolation and their grief quickly turns to passion.

Over the next few days during the funeral preparations, Jacqueline becomes more and more dependent on Phil, who is 13 years younger than her, and he quickly professes his love. She thinks she loves him also, but realizes that she is in no condition to commit to any sort of relationship with him. Jacqueline is a former ballerina who was also scarred and traumatized by a rape 10 years earlier. She decides to push for more compassionate handling of rape victims and enlists the support of an old friend, Viktor, in this quest.

The relationship between Jacqueline and Phil seems highly improbable, and I was never actually convinced that it would work out. The theme of older woman, younger man appears in other novels by this author, but in this case it seems implausible. Jacqueline eventually sorts out her feelings for Phil, and starts to realize some success in her campaign for rape victims' rights.

The characters aren't as finely crafted, empathetic and believable in this novel as in other of Allen's novels, but there are lessons to be learned in the handling of rape victims and the healing power of love.