"She had one of those dark mezzo-soprano voices, the colour of mahogany" It is these seemingly simple statements that capture the essence of a person that continually bring me back to the writing of Madeleine St. John. She is becoming one of my favourite authors and I so glad that I came across her works. Enough of the gushing.Simon and Flora Beaufort are happily married with three children, that is the surface view but St. John slowly scrapes away the layers of the marriage and exposes the frailty of the relationship. When Flora takes the three children to France for a holiday, Simon finds himself drawn to Gillian. From here St John takes you through the life of Simon and Flora. You participate in Flora's attempt to find meaning to her life outside the family and in part she turns to the Church. For Simon it is that choice between career, family and a his lover. There is humour in this book and the interplay between Flora and her children is delightful. What I love there is no resolution at the end. I like that you are taken into a slice of their lives and allowed to experience what happens. It is a deftly handled novel and each word is placed with careful deliberation.
