Last Summer in Arcadia [Paperback]

Deirdre Purcell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 19, 2004

The tension is palpable as Tess and Jerry Brennan sit in the drawing room of their wonderful house high above the sea, waiting for the police to arrive. Tess is facing the consequences of her own actions, innocently undertaken but devastating in their outcome; Jerry has been caught out in a misdemeanour, a transgression men have made since time began but one that in his case has repercussions that will mean the end of a successful career. Adding to Tess's agitation is the knowledge that her two best friends are facing parallel traumas of their own. Life skated along for the three couples until last summer when they all travelled to the village of Collioure in the south of France. Now they have everything to lose: their marriages, their family lives, and their friendships.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Intimate, yet distinct. Purcell juggles voices deftly to deliver a snappy read, releasing revelations with mounting tension' -- Irish Independent

About the Author

Deirdre Purcell was born and brought up in Dublin, and educated there and in a County Mayo convent. Before turning to the writing of fiction, she lived through an eclectic set of careers, including acting as member of the permanent company of Ireland's National Theatre (The Abbey) and journalism for all media - for which she won Ireland's top awards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Headline Paperbacks (July 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747267936
• ISBN-13: 978-0747267935
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 1.3 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,659,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the back cover, May 25, 2006

By 

My Fathers Business "my_fathers_business_" (Willoughby) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Summer in Arcadia (Paperback)

The tension is palpable as Tess and Jerry Brennan wait for the police to arrive. Their family lives, friendships, even their marriage, are in freefall.

Jerry has been caught in a misdemeanour which will mean the end of a successful career, while Tess did not foresee the devastating consequences of her own actions, however innocently undertaken. To add to her distress, her two best friends are likewise shocked. Big, warm-hearted Rita, having enjoyed a seemingly unassailable relationship with her doting Ricky, is reeling, Maddy is struggling with alcohol in an attempt to cope with the behavior of her husband, a TV soap star.

Life had skated along for the three couples and their assorted offspring until last summer, when they all traveled to the heavenly village of Collioure in the south of France...

Unerringly perceptive, LAST SUMMER IN ARCADIA is a compellingly written, powerful exploration of the complex mix of love, trust and compromise called "marriage".