The View Here Deborah Mckinlay
In England, Frances and Phillip have been married for two decades. They have no children of their own, but they raised his daughter Chloe, whose mother abandoned her. In her forties, Frances learns she suffers from a malignant tumor. Stunned Phillip leaves London where he worked on his latest marketing book to return to their rural home to help his beloved wife.
However Frances feels betrayed as she has found a romantic letter that ties her husband to his book editor Josee, the London-based editor of his books. Instead of confronting Phillip, Frances follows him to London where she sees him say goodbye to Josee. As she knows she is dying, she looks back to herself in 1976 as a twentyish woman in Mexico eking out a living by teaching English. There she met three wealthy selfish American couples (Patsy and Richard, Bee Bee and Ned, and Sally and Mason) who she initially cannot distinguish between the extender Severance family members. However, she and Mason have an affair; which she rationalized by blaming Sally until she realizes her lover was having sex with Patsy too. As her death looms, Frances relooks at her relationship with Phillip who she knows loved her though he betrayed her.
The View from Here is that this is an engaging insightful character study. The story line contrasts Frances as twenty-two years old who believed she could do anything and selfishly went after whatever or whoever she desires without a care for others; vs. the forty something dying Frances who is no long shallow as she has cared for others like Chloe and forgives her beloved Phillip for his indiscretions. The protagonist will have readers ponder whether the sums of a person's good deeds and bad deeds can be accrued like debits and credits on an accounting journal.
Harriet Klausner
In England, Frances and Phillip have been married for two decades. They have no children of their own, but they raised his daughter Chloe, whose mother abandoned her. In her forties, Frances learns she suffers from a malignant tumor. Stunned Phillip leaves London where he worked on his latest marketing book to return to their rural home to help his beloved wife.
BalasHapusHowever Frances feels betrayed as she has found a romantic letter that ties her husband to his book editor Josee, the London-based editor of his books. Instead of confronting Phillip, Frances follows him to London where she sees him say goodbye to Josee. As she knows she is dying, she looks back to herself in 1976 as a twentyish woman in Mexico eking out a living by teaching English. There she met three wealthy selfish American couples (Patsy and Richard, Bee Bee and Ned, and Sally and Mason) who she initially cannot distinguish between the extender Severance family members. However, she and Mason have an affair; which she rationalized by blaming Sally until she realizes her lover was having sex with Patsy too. As her death looms, Frances relooks at her relationship with Phillip who she knows loved her though he betrayed her.
The View from Here is that this is an engaging insightful character study. The story line contrasts Frances as twenty-two years old who believed she could do anything and selfishly went after whatever or whoever she desires without a care for others; vs. the forty something dying Frances who is no long shallow as she has cared for others like Chloe and forgives her beloved Phillip for his indiscretions. The protagonist will have readers ponder whether the sums of a person's good deeds and bad deeds can be accrued like debits and credits on an accounting journal.
Harriet Klausner
This beautifully written novel kept me turning pages until late at night. Well, I bought it on Kindle so actually I was pressing the button, to be exact. But I practically got tendinitis I was pressing so much! I even highlighted some passages, and if you know Kindle you know that highlighting is kind of a klugey thing to go back and read, but I plan to do so and then type up the passages that I think made such sharp points. Lovely prose.
BalasHapusThe story is very engaging -- the book is a memorable page-turner-- and although the characters (mostly the idle rich) are not very likable, I was riveted to see what would happen next. I thought I knew, that it was predictable, but I was wrong.
I won't spoil it for you by describing the ending, but it was a total surprise and the stunning final pages pulled the whole book together in an unusual way. She's really a great writer.
I look forward to more women's literary fiction from McKinlay.And by the way, the protagonist's illness plays only a minor role in the book, so if (like me) you're put off by books with vivid descriptions of long, ugly illnesses, you won't get any of that here.
I really don't want to say more because it's an unusual story. Just read it.
Deborah McKinlay has written a poignantly beautiful story of Frances, a young woman on a working holiday in Mexico in the 1970s who meets a raucous group of over indulged, overly liberal Americans, who have taken a house on the coast for the Summer. They rename her "Frankie" and welcome her as one of their own, an amusement in their jaded world.
BalasHapusFrankie becomes involved in a sordid romance with the husband of her hostess, and unwittingly a pawn in the games this jet-set group play among themselves. There are casualties and that is of no consequence to them. For Frankie though, it serves as an awakening to the darkness preying beneath the surface of this sun-drenched, hedonistic existence.
Twenty years later, confronted with her impending death, Frances discovers that her husband is having an affair, a situation that raises the ghosts of her past and calls her conscience to account for her actions.
A luscious story, "The View From Here" is akin to diving into a cool turquoise pool on a sweltering Summer day - an intense pleasure that leaves you wanting more. A perfect holiday read.
I first became a fan of Deborah McKinlay on Twitter where she sends out amazing witticisms on life and relationship. (Do follow ... she writes under @YourAuntLola , @SheTypes , and @BlondeDuJour)
BalasHapusWhen I read of her first fiction book"s release I made sure to read it as soon as I could in hopes of finding a "new favourite author". I was not dissapointed. In fact, I stayed up half the night to finish it.
Frances is a 22 year old English girl eekling out an existance giving English lessons in coastal Mexico. There she meets up with a disparate group of Americans staying in a gorgeous mansion on a private beach. Two decades later as she is dying of cancer, she decides to write down her memories and deal with her own role in an illicit love affair that led to betrayal, tragedy and death.
Laugh out loud funny at times, the novel is also heartbreaking at times t as Frances deals with the news of her own husband's affair- news she never expected to know of in her last months on earth. Kharma, it seems, can be quite the be-yatch!
This is the perfect book to take on a beach vacation or to curl up with if you are stuck at home on a cold, wintery day. I look fully forward to McKinley's future fictional endeavours ... I am now a true fan !
Started this book late afternoon and finished up at one AM. I could not put it down. Writing was well thought out and concise. There was a twist at the end. You know you are headed toward something and are not disappointed! Enjoyed this.
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