One Summer [Paperback]

Rachel Billington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 11, 2007

K, a middle-aged painter, has returned from a hermit-like existence in Chile to attend the wedding of a girl he once loved to the point of obsession; but when he arrives at the English country church, it is empty, and the wedding has been postponed. He drives back to his hotel—a place he'd visited many years before—opens a bottle of champagne, and with it, a door to the past. When K first saw Claudia 15 years before, he fell instantly and dangerously in love—so much so that he managed to forget he had a wife and a life already full. He became consumed by Claudia, who was little more than a child then, 24 years his junior, and their love proved to be destructive and ultimately tragic. Years later, he now finds his old love is on the verge of a very different future, but the past, inevitably, awaits them both—and he is determined to take her back there.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Writing with grace and unflinching intensity, Billington acknowledges the complexity of cause and effect in a novel that is as much about the sufferings of expiation as the joys of passion.' SUNDAY TIMES 'One Summer is a real emotional roller-coaster of a read, and Billington expertly sustains the suspense.' DAILY MAIL 'A heady literary cocktail that hurtles towards its tragic denouement with this author's characteristic flair.' EASY LIVING '...heightened emotionalism worthy of Iris Murdoch...prose that is supple and lyrical but never self-indulgent.' -- Matthew Dennison SPECTATOR 'This great romance reads like a thriller.' BELLA 'Billington handles the tension well and her main characters are well-formed... intense, brooding and self-destructive.' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'An unusual and compelling story.' LANCASHIRE EVENING POST 'Predictably good storytelling from Billington' BELFAST TELEGRAPH 'I thoroughly enjoyed this book... the characters are totally believable. The countryside and the weather are beautifully described and the evocation of the gardens of the house in masterly. I can strongly recommend this.' NEW BOOKS MAG --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Rachel Billington is former president and current vice president of English PEN. Her previous titles include One Summer, The Space Between, There's More to Life, and A Woman's Life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Orion Publishing (July 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752881566
• ISBN-13: 978-0752881560
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,853,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)