I loved this book and can't wait to read her next, September. Rosamunde Pilcher is faultless in description of London and Cornwall, development of character and authenticity of emotions. The novel opens in the Cotswolds as Penelope returns to her cottage from the hospital after suffering a mild heart attack. We are then introduced to her three children, Nancy married to a stuffy solicitor and living in an old vicarage, Olivia, a magazine editor at Venus, and Noel, a dashing young man living in a tiny apartment only because it is in a good section of town. They are all concerned about their mother living alone after she checked herself out of the hospital against the doctor's wishes. Then we realize there is much jealousy and rivalry between the children on two accounts, Olivia being the only one truly concerned with her mother's health, and interest in Victorian paintings done by Penelope's father and suddenly escalated in price. Nancy wants money for her two children to attend expensive prep schools and Noel wants to leave his poor-paying job and become a broker. Lawrence Stern's paintings had all been sold to pay for their daily living expenses and only two remained, the Shell Seekers and two unfinished panels belonging to Penelope. The Sterns spend winters in London and summers in Cornwall. The descriptions of Cornwall with its bright sun, white, sheer cliffs and dazzling blue waters of the Atlantic are so detailed the reader feels as if they have personally experienced it.
There is an intricate plot with three generations being influenced by World War 11. Mainly, the plot follows Penelope with her marriage to a man she realizes she doesn't love, meeting one she does, and trying to hold her family together. There is the undercurrent of her daughter Nancy and son Noel pestering her to sell her father's paintings and Olivia who buffers their greed.
A visit to Italy adds a subplot that turns out to have lasting effect for Penelope and ultimately her children.
Flashbacks are seamlessly used to give depth and understanding to three generations of family. An excellent novel.
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