Moving to the Country [Hardcover]

Anna Cheska (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 2001

All Jess wants is happiness with her husband Felix, a chance at a new career, and a taste of her sister Louisa's bohemian lifestyle. All Louisa wants is a place to call home. Nobody is sure what Felix wants, let alone Felix himself. But Jess is hoping that their move to a small village in Dorset will revitalize Felix's business, their marriage, and Jess herself.

But when their daughter moves out, Louisa decides to move in, and their lives soon become entangled with their new neighbors. And now that Jess has time on her hands to develop her own interests, she also has time to entertain doubts about her errant husband. Has she been papering over the cracks in their marriage for too long? She's devoted to Felix but hasn't trusted him for years. A house can be transformed, but is it too late to hope that Felix will ever change?

With delicate wit and a flare for capturing the many faces of love, Anna Cheska weaves a thoughtful tale of modern family life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jess Newman, budding interior designer, hopes to start a new life with her husband, Felix, in a quaint English village when their only daughter, Sophie, goes off to college at the start of this cozily predictable novel. But before Jess can apply a fresh coat of paint to her cottage walls, her self-centered, insecure husband starts an affair with his conniving office assistant, Hilary. Jess suspects something is amiss, but she can't be sure, so she throws herself into redecorating the house, goes back to school and strikes up a friendship with Rupert, a slightly mysterious bachelor who lives next door. There's more to distract her: her sister, Louisa, whom she hasn't seen in years, has recently come to town, as has Sophie, after dropping out of school and ending her affair with a married man. Though otherwise oblivious to Jess's needs and interests, Felix is miffed when she takes on her first client, a handsome doctor named Matthew, who is smitten with her and to whom she feels a growing attraction. Then, as if his affair with Hilary weren't enough, Felix has one with his business partner's wife. The answers to this overlong novel's questions (when is Jess going to wise up? what will she do about Matthew? why doesn't Rupert respond to Louisa's advances? why is Felix such an ass?) don't come as much of a surprise and the various tensions lead to confrontations that are resolved too tidily. But Cheska's writing has charm, and Jess is an easy heroine to root for.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Cheska's latest novel, her first to be published stateside, details the disintegrating marriage of Jess and Felix. Despite a move to a new home in the idyllic English countryside, Felix cannot overcome his unfortunate tendency toward infidelity. At the same time, Jess is discovering that her talent and passion for decorating may become the basis for a successful new entrepreneurial venture. Complicating this potential midlife crisis scenario is their daughter, Sophie, whose infatuation with a married man has sent her home from college reeling. What's more, Jess's estranged but beloved sister, Louisa, returns home unexpectedly after a 16-year absence. Ably portraying an assortment of neighbors and business associates, the story exudes a good deal of subtlety and genuine warmth. This is an entertaining read for anyone who enjoys fiction that delves into human frailties and the enigmas of human relationships. If you relish the novels of Eileen Goudge, Judith Gould, or Joanna Trollope, you will be pleased to discover Cheska. Recommended for all public libraries. Margaret Hanes Sterling, Heights P.L., MI
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 1st edition (December 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312281323
• ISBN-13: 978-0312281328
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,229,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A realistic yet human tale, November 21, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moving to the Country (Hardcover)

The move from East Sussex to West Dorset paired with their daughter off to college means dramatic changes to forty something couple Jess and Felix Newman. The duo looks forward to this fresh start because Felix's jewelry firm needs a boost, but mostly to pump life into their stagnant marriage.

Felix, who has always had a mistress, believes the relocation will enable him to become faithful even as Jess trusts he never cheats on her though she has some doubts. However, Felix returns to what he does best, philandering, as if the change means nothing. On the other hand, the coastal environment revitalizes Jess, who returns to school to study design. She soon becomes a professional decorator. Jess quickly has a client, who motivates her to inspect her marriage.

MOVING TO THE COUNTRY is an engaging contemporary romance for those fans whom relish a British style relationship drama. The story line focuses on Jess, but also provides insight to Felix (Cheating again - duh!), what their daughter is doing (a chip off the old male block), her sister is doing (noncommittal to the nth degree), and her first client (waiting for Jess). Though none of the cast is very deep, Anna Cheska provides a warm tale for the sub-genre audience to enjoy.

Harriet Klausner