From Publishers Weekly
Greenlaw's second novel centers on Juliet Clough, a 20-something Londoner grappling with difficult siblings, a complicated romantic life and uncertain health. Things take a turn for the worse when Juliet's brother Tobias is killed in a traffic accident just after a bomb goes off in London. Much of the novel revolves around the family's attempts to cope with Tobias's death. In the murky days of grief, Juliet takes up with famous, much older and married author Jacob Dart. Though her siblings—Fred, Carlo and Clara—do not approve of the match and Juliet suffers from a vaguely explained and painful illness, she pursues the relationship until decamping for a job in Littlefield, Mass. Her life in Littlefield pokes along until Jacob shows up unannounced, wooing her anew. Meanwhile, back in the U.K., Juliet's siblings meander along: Carlo gets serious with his boyfriend; artist Clara's career gets a boost from Jacob's wife; and Fred, an unevenly successful financier, mostly occupies himself with taking care of his siblings. The surfeit of characters and subplots can be difficult to follow, but Greenlaw's prose, line-by-line, is razor-sharp. The book is a clear pick for fans of Penelope Lively and Margaret Drabble.
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Review
"There's more than a whiff of Cold Comfort Farm hanging over this elegant novel." —Daily Mail
"An engrossing and thought-provoking read." —Sunday Telegraph
"A subtle and intriguing novel." —Observer
"A terrific book, a meteorological force in its own right . . . absorbing and beautifully observed." —Evening Standard
"Made plausible by the brilliance of the writing . . . Greenlaw superbly brings to life her characters' inner life and their perceptions of their world." —Financial Times
"A piece of ice in the eye, chilling and disturbing, a beautiful portrait of ordinary unhappiness at its best." —Irish Times
"Gifted with a sharp eye for detail and a fine sensibility to verbal nuance and patterning, Greenlaw has already established herself as a significant force in British poetry. This new novel seems certain to confirm her developing reputation as a writer of lively, intelligent and well-crafted fiction." —Guardian
