When novelist Anne Medicott makes an accidental remark on a television program that leads to a libel suit, she must come to terms with her life and her past. By the author of The Captive Audience.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Historical elements and a prevailing sense of mystery combine in Mann's ( The Captive Audience ) subtle tale of betrayal, tragedy and escape in pre-WW II Germany. Anne Medlicott, a London novelist, accepts an invitation to appear on a TV talk show. There she's reintroduced to Perdita Whitchurch, a painter whom she'd known decades ago at boarding school. When a third guest at the show exhibits a list of well-placed Englishmen who would have welcomed a Nazi victory, Anne impulsively points out the name of Perdita's father among them; this potentially slanderous incident motivates Anne to pen a manuscript that investigates Perdita's privileged British parents, her own Jewish parents and their German connections. At first, it seems the notion of "biography" may not work in this fictional setting. Anne spends the opening pages complaining about the world of lies she inhabits as a novelist, and she is, after all, a character herself. However, with distance from the introduction and its self-fulfilling prophecy, the story eventually engrosses a reader with its complex web of interrelated people and events. By the time Anne's tale comes full-circle to a dramatic, present-day wrap-up, her audience is pleasantly stymied by the twin mysteries of Perdita's dubious parentage and the shadowy betrayer of Anne's father.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Best known for her clever detective stories, Mann has written a captivating novel set in the present with flashbacks to the World War II era. Novelist Anne Medlicott accidentally plunges herself into a potential libel suit with an offhand remark on a TV talk show about alleged Nazi sympathizers during the war. Anne recognizes and reveals the name of a sympathizer and then embarks on a long and introspective search back in time to prove her allegation. What she discovers about her friends, her family, and herself is both shocking and enlightening. The narrative is told from the perspectives of several characters: Celia Roget, an innocent Englishwoman whose eyes are opened to Nazi atrocities; Michael Silberschmidt, a Jewish journalist who works for the underground; and Hubertus von Beowolf, a Nazi with whom Celia becomes involved. This intriguing tale of betrayal, deception, and courage is highly recommended for general fiction collections.
- Stacie Browne Chandler, Plymouth P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Stacie Browne Chandler, Plymouth P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet.
|
|||
|
Video reviews
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
