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Mapping the Edge
People go missing every day. They walk out of their front doors and out of their lives into the silence of cold statistics. For those left behind it is the cruelest of long good-byes.
Anna, a self-sufficient and reliable single mother, packs her bags one day for a short vacation to Italy. She leaves her beloved six-year-old daughter, Lily, at home in London with good friends. But when Anna doesn't return, everyone begins to make excuses until the likelihood that she might not come back becomes chillingly clear. And the people who thought they knew Anna best realize they don't know her at all. How could she leave her daughter? Why doesn't she call? Is she enjoying a romantic tryst with a secret lover? Or has she been abducted or even killed by a disturbed stranger?
Did that person you loved so much and thought you knew so well did they simply choose to go and not come back? Or did someone do the choosing for them?
Dunant, a masterly British suspense writer, skillfully interweaves parallel narratives that are stretched taut with tension even as they raise difficult questions about motherhood, friendship, and accountability. In this compelling hybrid of sophisticated crime writing and modern women's fiction, Dunant challenges and unnerves us as she redefines the boundaries of the psychological thriller.
Missing rubs the soul raw. In place of answers all you have is your imagination.
Anna, a self-sufficient and reliable single mother, packs her bags one day for a short vacation to Italy. She leaves her beloved six-year-old daughter, Lily, at home in London with good friends. But when Anna doesn't return, everyone begins to make excuses until the likelihood that she might not come back becomes chillingly clear. And the people who thought they knew Anna best realize they don't know her at all. How could she leave her daughter? Why doesn't she call? Is she enjoying a romantic tryst with a secret lover? Or has she been abducted or even killed by a disturbed stranger?
Did that person you loved so much and thought you knew so well did they simply choose to go and not come back? Or did someone do the choosing for them?
Dunant, a masterly British suspense writer, skillfully interweaves parallel narratives that are stretched taut with tension even as they raise difficult questions about motherhood, friendship, and accountability. In this compelling hybrid of sophisticated crime writing and modern women's fiction, Dunant challenges and unnerves us as she redefines the boundaries of the psychological thriller.
Missing rubs the soul raw. In place of answers all you have is your imagination.
309 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
37 people are currently reading
1396 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Dunant
28 books1,600 followersSarah Dunant is a cultural commentator, award-winning thriller writer and author of five novels set in Renaissance Italy exploring women’s lives through art, sex and religion. She has two daughters, and lives in London and Florence.
Sarah’s monthly history program and podcast on history can be found via the BBC website.
Sarah’s monthly history program and podcast on history can be found via the BBC website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
August 19, 2023
This is a mystery. I think.
Probably, because I really don’t know what just happened, to be honest.
This is what the cover tells you: “Anna, a self-sufficient and reliable single mother, packs her bags one day for a short Italian vacation. She leaves her beloved six-year-old daughter, Lily, at home with good friends. But when Anna doesn't return, everyone begins to make excuses, until the likelihood that she might not come back becomes chillingly real.”
The problem for me was that the author created dual plot lines, (kind of like a "choose your own adventure" kind of a deal.)
Then…she really did not come full-circle in the end like mystery books typically do – like giving you an understanding of what happened – who did it and why, so to speak.
The last paragraph of the book was very poorly done and really ruined the entire book for me.
It just was too cryptic for me, and I just was left completely confused.
What did I read?
Will you know?
Please somebody, can you help me understand this book?
Probably, because I really don’t know what just happened, to be honest.
This is what the cover tells you: “Anna, a self-sufficient and reliable single mother, packs her bags one day for a short Italian vacation. She leaves her beloved six-year-old daughter, Lily, at home with good friends. But when Anna doesn't return, everyone begins to make excuses, until the likelihood that she might not come back becomes chillingly real.”
The problem for me was that the author created dual plot lines, (kind of like a "choose your own adventure" kind of a deal.)
Then…she really did not come full-circle in the end like mystery books typically do – like giving you an understanding of what happened – who did it and why, so to speak.
The last paragraph of the book was very poorly done and really ruined the entire book for me.
It just was too cryptic for me, and I just was left completely confused.
What did I read?
Will you know?
Please somebody, can you help me understand this book?
October 29, 2007
I read the other reviews of this book, and everyone else seemed to love it.
When I finished this book, I just sat there and thought, "wait...what just happened?" The two different scenarios of what could've happened to Anna while she was missing really confused me - couldn't Dunant have just picked one and expanded on it more? There seemed to be way too many holes in the two stories, especially the kidnapping scenario. The character of the kidnapper was definitely not developed enough, and I didn't understand most of his motives. That's really as detailed I can get without giving away major plot points.
I think this story would've been really interesting if Dunant had just chosen one of the scenarios and wrote about it in greater detail. As it was, the book was just confusing and I didn't see the point of it.
That being said, I really enjoyed Dunant's other two books, The Birth of Venus and In the Company of the Courtesan.
When I finished this book, I just sat there and thought, "wait...what just happened?" The two different scenarios of what could've happened to Anna while she was missing really confused me - couldn't Dunant have just picked one and expanded on it more? There seemed to be way too many holes in the two stories, especially the kidnapping scenario. The character of the kidnapper was definitely not developed enough, and I didn't understand most of his motives. That's really as detailed I can get without giving away major plot points.
I think this story would've been really interesting if Dunant had just chosen one of the scenarios and wrote about it in greater detail. As it was, the book was just confusing and I didn't see the point of it.
That being said, I really enjoyed Dunant's other two books, The Birth of Venus and In the Company of the Courtesan.
July 28, 2007
A good and creepy mystery/thriller. It's not one or the other, but the plot keeps you on your toes. The story is about a mother who is abducted before she is to come home from a week away in Italy. Her family at home tries to figure out why she went away alone to Italy in the first place, and when they realize she has gone missing, they pull together to try to understand the choices she's made in life and how that can help them find her and get her back home. Since it's about a woman, it hits close to home--not for the faint-hearted. Intense.
March 9, 2009
Definately NOT like BIRTH OF VENUS--really interesting writing idea, but not executed very well. Sarah Dunant is a great writer in how she develops each scene so you can see it like you were there, but I definately don't like her as a mystery/thriller author. This story had dual plot lines, (kind of like a "choose your own adventure" kind of a deal.) and really did not come full-circle in the end like mystery books should. The last paragraph of the book was very poorly done and really ruined the entire book for me. I felt like the 1st half of the book was twice as good as the last half. She ran out of steam, but who wouldn't trying to weave two possible plot lines into the same outcome.
January 20, 2023
This was a disappointment. Occasionally a paragraph or sentence would hold beauty and I would think, ohhh this is going to be good. But it kind of never got good.
I actually figured out after finish & reading spoilers that this had two different “possible stories” the entire time. I kept thinking one happened before the other and was waiting for them to meet up. It was neither and the book felt… well… pointless.
Not gonna lie I struggled getting through parts of this, and after finishing I’m sort of sad I didn’t just DNF it. Dang.
I’m nervous to read Birth of Venus and it’s also on my TBR.
I actually figured out after finish & reading spoilers that this had two different “possible stories” the entire time. I kept thinking one happened before the other and was waiting for them to meet up. It was neither and the book felt… well… pointless.
Not gonna lie I struggled getting through parts of this, and after finishing I’m sort of sad I didn’t just DNF it. Dang.
I’m nervous to read Birth of Venus and it’s also on my TBR.
October 16, 2007
Amazing reading -- interlinked "versions" of a story leaving one to wonder where the real story exists. What a writer!
Added later: Too cryptic by far! As one reads this it seems straightfoprward enough. Two versions of a story at odds one with the other. A mystery. Which version is THE story? then the versions end. More mystery. Which version was THE version? How many versions were there? Do I know what I read? I do. I THINK. Will you know? Read it and then see what you think you know.
Added later: Too cryptic by far! As one reads this it seems straightfoprward enough. Two versions of a story at odds one with the other. A mystery. Which version is THE story? then the versions end. More mystery. Which version was THE version? How many versions were there? Do I know what I read? I do. I THINK. Will you know? Read it and then see what you think you know.
December 12, 2022
Roger gave me a different ending than I thought - wasn't so enticing that I finished it very quickly, but seems to be lower-rated by the general populous than I thought. Based on Roger's interpretation I can see why - two different possible endings. I still like to think that both Samuel and Andreas were real, but if the latter was not, it would explain some plot holes and a lack of detail that a tangible experience would provide.
August 25, 2024
An intriguing read with a parallel plotline but it all ended rather suddenly, like the writer had run out of steam so I wasn't quite sure about the end. Good rather than great. 3 stars.
July 27, 2013
**Spoiler alert**
Wow...
I had only previously read Dunant's 'The Birth of Venus' and while I enjoyed that book because of the lush prose and vivid descriptions, I was completely unaware as to the impact that this book would have upon me...
The story tells of Anna Franklin, a single mother who journeys to Florence, Italy for a trip, leaving behind in London her young daughter. The story truly begins when Anna misses her return flight home...
The novel cuts between the story of what is happening to Anna in Italy and the unfolding situation at her home with her daughter Lily, and her close friends Paul and Estella...what makes the book so suspenseful is the fact that the book contains two alternate plots as to what exactly is happening to Anna to delay her flight...I was about halfway through before I realized that these were two different stories, rather than the same one told in a discontinuous temporal fashion...
I am truly amazed at how tight all of the narrative plotting was and how the same event could happen in both of Anna's timelines in a completely justified manner (i.e. the fact that the wooden horse (that Anna had purchased especially for Lily) is damaged at the same place upon the horse in two completely different ways best exemplifies this)...It was great fun to jump back and forth between the different narrative strands, and try and guess which tale would be continued next...the story is in fact three strands woven into two different stories (1 + 2a) vs (1 + 2b)...and as everyone knows, even the smallest of details changes the context and outcome of the story itself in unimaginable ways...
Of even greater interest to me is that Anna ends up a victim in each scenario (see below for further expansion)...
Anyone familiar with Terry Pratchett's Discworld series may be familiar with his 'Trousers of Time' theory which states (in essence) that there are deciding/defining moments where a choice is before you...where, whichever way you choose, things will come to pass in a certain manner...and sometimes, it is just possible, to know what would have happened had you made the other choice...
There is some of this theory at work in this story...over and over again, Anna's sections demonstrate how her choices have placed her in various situations and the strength of the novel comes from Anna's own realization of how she must act in response...so, will she continue her affair or die at the hands of her kidnapper? What's so interesting is that while she arguably ends up in the same position in both stories (i.e. the victim of a man with malignant intentions), her actions dictate her ultimate release in both scenarios, which collapse together into the single storyline describing her call home at the novel's conclusion...
The other element I really enjoyed about the book comes from the author's musings (as described through her characters' musings) about how well we know ourselves, our loved ones and the people around us...and of course, whether it's possible to ever truly know someone or if we all just remain strangers to one another, regardless of the intimate interactions we experience...
I have more to say, but am still untangling it in my mind, so I'll add it on later...
Wow...
I had only previously read Dunant's 'The Birth of Venus' and while I enjoyed that book because of the lush prose and vivid descriptions, I was completely unaware as to the impact that this book would have upon me...
The story tells of Anna Franklin, a single mother who journeys to Florence, Italy for a trip, leaving behind in London her young daughter. The story truly begins when Anna misses her return flight home...
The novel cuts between the story of what is happening to Anna in Italy and the unfolding situation at her home with her daughter Lily, and her close friends Paul and Estella...what makes the book so suspenseful is the fact that the book contains two alternate plots as to what exactly is happening to Anna to delay her flight...I was about halfway through before I realized that these were two different stories, rather than the same one told in a discontinuous temporal fashion...
I am truly amazed at how tight all of the narrative plotting was and how the same event could happen in both of Anna's timelines in a completely justified manner (i.e. the fact that the wooden horse (that Anna had purchased especially for Lily) is damaged at the same place upon the horse in two completely different ways best exemplifies this)...It was great fun to jump back and forth between the different narrative strands, and try and guess which tale would be continued next...the story is in fact three strands woven into two different stories (1 + 2a) vs (1 + 2b)...and as everyone knows, even the smallest of details changes the context and outcome of the story itself in unimaginable ways...
Of even greater interest to me is that Anna ends up a victim in each scenario (see below for further expansion)...
Anyone familiar with Terry Pratchett's Discworld series may be familiar with his 'Trousers of Time' theory which states (in essence) that there are deciding/defining moments where a choice is before you...where, whichever way you choose, things will come to pass in a certain manner...and sometimes, it is just possible, to know what would have happened had you made the other choice...
There is some of this theory at work in this story...over and over again, Anna's sections demonstrate how her choices have placed her in various situations and the strength of the novel comes from Anna's own realization of how she must act in response...so, will she continue her affair or die at the hands of her kidnapper? What's so interesting is that while she arguably ends up in the same position in both stories (i.e. the victim of a man with malignant intentions), her actions dictate her ultimate release in both scenarios, which collapse together into the single storyline describing her call home at the novel's conclusion...
The other element I really enjoyed about the book comes from the author's musings (as described through her characters' musings) about how well we know ourselves, our loved ones and the people around us...and of course, whether it's possible to ever truly know someone or if we all just remain strangers to one another, regardless of the intimate interactions we experience...
I have more to say, but am still untangling it in my mind, so I'll add it on later...
April 26, 2014
Last year I read Transgressions by the same author and was really irritated and annoyed by it despite a promising start. This year I read another of her books, this one - Mapping The Edge. Sarah Dunant can write, of that there is no doubt, in fact I really like her style, but her storylines just seem to frustrate me. Mapping the Edge has three viewpoints or storylines going on all at once which come to a simultaneous time point at the end, however it just didn't work for me at all reading it as it is meant to be read, and after a few chapters I was ready to chuck it in. Then for some reason I decided to start all over again, but this time reading each storyline separately. And this time I enjoyed it!
February 11, 2008
Written by the author of "The Birth of Venus", this contemporary novel takes place in London and Florence, with some references to Amsterdam. It's a suspenseful story told from the viewpoints of two best friends after one of them goes missing. Some of the topics explored are motherhood and parenting, careers, friendship, and occasionally living on the wild side. I was captivated by the story and read it in one day because I wanted to find out what happens!
October 3, 2017
Good writing, interesting story told from a number of perspectives. I got very wrapped up in the plot and knew, because I peeked at reviews, that the ending would be vague. I kept reading anyway, thinking "well how vague could it be?" Pretty damn vague, is the answer. I'll still read books by her although if any of them have a similar ending -- meaning, no ending -- I'll pass.
May 12, 2020
Riveting. Confusing. What just happened? I'm kind of dumbstruck. I really couldn't put this book down and have stayed up wayyyy too late to finish it. But really, what just happened?
October 12, 2017
A gripping read & an interesting book as it's written from three different angles.
Anna packs her bags & goes off without anyone knowing where she's going & from this two different stories emerge...
In one, Anna meets up with a mysterious lover but he has a side to him that Anna knows nothing about & is working to an agenda Anna couldn't have dreamt of...
In the second scenario, Anna has been abducted & held against her will by a stranger...
But there's a third angle & this is told from the viewpoint of Anna's best friend Stella who arrives to care for Anna's daughter & with other friends tries to make sense of what is happening.
So what really happened to Anna during those missing days? Well, you'll have to read it to find out ;o)
Anna packs her bags & goes off without anyone knowing where she's going & from this two different stories emerge...
In one, Anna meets up with a mysterious lover but he has a side to him that Anna knows nothing about & is working to an agenda Anna couldn't have dreamt of...
In the second scenario, Anna has been abducted & held against her will by a stranger...
But there's a third angle & this is told from the viewpoint of Anna's best friend Stella who arrives to care for Anna's daughter & with other friends tries to make sense of what is happening.
So what really happened to Anna during those missing days? Well, you'll have to read it to find out ;o)
Read
February 12, 2021I found this book weirdly compelling.
January 9, 2025
WTF. Was sort of interesting until the end, where it seemed like even the author couldn’t figure out what happened.
March 16, 2022
Engrossing sort of thriller about a woman's disappearance with two scenarios about what happened to her, which honestly, I didn't really understand which was the real one.
February 28, 2016
I loved the premise of this book in theory. I have never seen the movie Sliding Doors so I can't say if it's any good, but I have always thought it sounded interesting, although apparently not interesting enough to get over my "not watching movies" thing. But when I heard about this book (a recommendation for books similar to Help for the Haunted, which I don't necessarily agree with), I was very intrigued. Basically, the idea is that a single mother goes on a brief vacation and does not return when she is expected. As her friends at home grow increasingly more worried, two parallel stories unfold about what might have happened to Anna. One is (kind of) a chic-lit scenario, and the other is more of a thriller/horror story. Sounds great, right?!
But in practice I didn't love it. I think part of it is because I did not find any of the characters very likable. Maybe it's because I'm not a single mother trying to get her groove back, but I didn't really get Anna. Her friend, Stella (whom the parts at home were told through) was probably realistic, but I could not connect with her at all. The only things she seemed to like was Anna and pot. And Anna's other friend Paul wasn't really a deep enough character for me to have any feelings about whatsoever.
As for the parallel stories one was kind of boring, and the other was kind of a page turner, but ultimately didn't really make any sense. A lot of it just seemed pointless. For example, Anna bought her daughter a present that she has with her in both of her parallel narratives. In both versions it gets damaged, but in very different ways. This is kind of interesting, but it didn't really go anywhere. And then at the end, when everything comes together, it sort of felt like the whole book didn't go anywhere. I don't know which story actually was the "real" story, although I guess that's the point? I could deal with that. I could not deal with the last paragraph of the story though, because it seemed like there was supposed to be some revelation there, but it didn't make any sense. I can't really say anything else without posting spoilers. It's not a bad read, but it also didn't live up to what I had hoped.
But in practice I didn't love it. I think part of it is because I did not find any of the characters very likable. Maybe it's because I'm not a single mother trying to get her groove back, but I didn't really get Anna. Her friend, Stella (whom the parts at home were told through) was probably realistic, but I could not connect with her at all. The only things she seemed to like was Anna and pot. And Anna's other friend Paul wasn't really a deep enough character for me to have any feelings about whatsoever.
As for the parallel stories one was kind of boring, and the other was kind of a page turner, but ultimately didn't really make any sense. A lot of it just seemed pointless. For example, Anna bought her daughter a present that she has with her in both of her parallel narratives. In both versions it gets damaged, but in very different ways. This is kind of interesting, but it didn't really go anywhere. And then at the end, when everything comes together, it sort of felt like the whole book didn't go anywhere. I don't know which story actually was the "real" story, although I guess that's the point? I could deal with that. I could not deal with the last paragraph of the story though, because it seemed like there was supposed to be some revelation there, but it didn't make any sense. I can't really say anything else without posting spoilers. It's not a bad read, but it also didn't live up to what I had hoped.
October 20, 2011
Al een hele poos ligt er hier bij mijn computer een stapeltje boeken om over te bloggen. De bovenste is Mapping the Edge van Sarah Dunant, vorig jaar april het boekgrrls maandboek en uit één van die nog immer onuitgepakte boekendozen tevoorschijn gekomen toen ik iets te lezen zocht.
Het verhaal
Anna wordt uit Florence terugverwacht door vriendin Estella, dochtertje Lily en vriend Paul. Maar Anna verschijnt niet op de afgesproken dag, noch op de dagen erna. Wat is er gebeurd? Het boek laat afwissselend een hoofdstuk over de wachtenden gaan en dan weer over wat Anna overkomt. Bijzonder is dat er twee mogelijke gebeurtenissen uitgesponnen worden: in verhaal A heeft Anna een minnaar waarmee ze een heftig avontuurtje beleeft, dat een beetje flauw ontaardt, in verhaal B wordt ze door een maniak ontvoerd, behoorlijk bloedstollend! Ik had de neiging telkens supersnel door te lezen tot het weer over verhaal B ging...
Tot na het einde blijft het spannend: wat is er nou precies gebeurd? Is dat het eerste, het tweede of toch nog iets anders en lezen we alleen de fantasiën van de achterblijvers?
Leuk om na afloop te lezen wat de boekgrrls er een jaar geleden van vonden. Veel van mijn eigen ideeën zie ik terug. Wel voel ik me een beetje aangesproken (als min of meer alleenstaande ouder met kleine kinderen) door de opmerkingen als ware Anna een slechte moeder omdat ze er alleen op uit ging. Juist als je het alleen doet, moet je goed voor jezelf zorgen. En daar horen ook korte vakanties zonder kinderen bij. Althans, voor mij :-)
Al met al: lekker vlot geschreven, ik heb geen moment de neiging gehad het weg te leggen.
Het verhaal
Anna wordt uit Florence terugverwacht door vriendin Estella, dochtertje Lily en vriend Paul. Maar Anna verschijnt niet op de afgesproken dag, noch op de dagen erna. Wat is er gebeurd? Het boek laat afwissselend een hoofdstuk over de wachtenden gaan en dan weer over wat Anna overkomt. Bijzonder is dat er twee mogelijke gebeurtenissen uitgesponnen worden: in verhaal A heeft Anna een minnaar waarmee ze een heftig avontuurtje beleeft, dat een beetje flauw ontaardt, in verhaal B wordt ze door een maniak ontvoerd, behoorlijk bloedstollend! Ik had de neiging telkens supersnel door te lezen tot het weer over verhaal B ging...
Tot na het einde blijft het spannend: wat is er nou precies gebeurd? Is dat het eerste, het tweede of toch nog iets anders en lezen we alleen de fantasiën van de achterblijvers?
Leuk om na afloop te lezen wat de boekgrrls er een jaar geleden van vonden. Veel van mijn eigen ideeën zie ik terug. Wel voel ik me een beetje aangesproken (als min of meer alleenstaande ouder met kleine kinderen) door de opmerkingen als ware Anna een slechte moeder omdat ze er alleen op uit ging. Juist als je het alleen doet, moet je goed voor jezelf zorgen. En daar horen ook korte vakanties zonder kinderen bij. Althans, voor mij :-)
Al met al: lekker vlot geschreven, ik heb geen moment de neiging gehad het weg te leggen.
September 11, 2010
There is a really interesting premise behind this book. One woman, Anna, a single mother living in London, ups and walks out of her life for a long weekend in Florence. You pick up her story towards the end of her time there. Initially, I was disappointed by this. The fact that the setting was Florence had been part of the attraction and one of the reasons I'd wanted to read this book, especially as it promised a modern-day take on one of my favourite cities. However, the book quickly sucked me in and I forgot this early let down (helped by the fact that Anna stayed in Tuscany!)
Interestingly, Dunant covers the story of Anna's disappearance from the viewpoint of those left behind, looking after her child, and not only dealing with the fact that she went off without a word in the first place but that she might not be coming back. Dunant also writes two parallel accounts of what happens to Anna in Italy and leaves it up to the reader to decide which of those is the truth or, perhaps more fittingly, which of those they prefer and are more comfortable with believing.
It's an interesting read, not least because of the questions it throws up about the bonds of parenthood and the ties of friendships and relationships. It also asks the reader to question how well we ever really know those we love and trust and how we can become disillusioned by them.
Interestingly, Dunant covers the story of Anna's disappearance from the viewpoint of those left behind, looking after her child, and not only dealing with the fact that she went off without a word in the first place but that she might not be coming back. Dunant also writes two parallel accounts of what happens to Anna in Italy and leaves it up to the reader to decide which of those is the truth or, perhaps more fittingly, which of those they prefer and are more comfortable with believing.
It's an interesting read, not least because of the questions it throws up about the bonds of parenthood and the ties of friendships and relationships. It also asks the reader to question how well we ever really know those we love and trust and how we can become disillusioned by them.
September 15, 2008
I picked up this book while I was in Florence and thought it would be fun to read, particularly because I have enjoyed 2 other books by Sarah Dunant,In the Company of the Courtesan: A Novel & The Birth of Venus. (The Birth of Venus rates as one of my favorite.) Mappin the Edge had a brilliant start, and I was immediately hooked. I was really involved in the story. How could this mother run off and be so selfish, leaving her friends to cope while she is indulging in an affair? And then, I was taken in with the idea of her abduction, by this very creepy, calculating man. Would she be cleaver enough to get away unhurt? It made me wonder what I would do in a similar circumstance, at least, in a foreign country without my passport and no money.
But then the ending….. I was lost. I had my husband read it so we could discuss it. I really thought I’d missed something major, like several chapters. But I wasn’t so willing to reread. He came to the same conclusion as me. Confused. Now after reading another review, I can see that there were 2 possibilities to the ending, but it wasn’t well executed.
I may try rereading sometime in the future because it was captivating.
But then the ending….. I was lost. I had my husband read it so we could discuss it. I really thought I’d missed something major, like several chapters. But I wasn’t so willing to reread. He came to the same conclusion as me. Confused. Now after reading another review, I can see that there were 2 possibilities to the ending, but it wasn’t well executed.
I may try rereading sometime in the future because it was captivating.
January 22, 2012
I didn't pick this up because of the stuff it said on the cover about it being sexual, and if you have you may end up being disappointed. I was, but not for that reason. The premise and the structure are interesting: Anna vanishes on the day she is meant to return home from a trip to Italy. The story of those left behind, worrying, is intertwined with two possible versions of what is happening to Anna. All three intersect at some parts, and there is a degree of cleverness in making them do so successfully, but as a whole it doesn't quite work. One scenario is fantastic from the start, the other becomes so; both lack the sense of the concrete of most of the 'home' narrative, with sketchy male characters and odd events. That may be deliberate of course, a way of making each possibility seem like the lie, but in the end I wanted to be able to decide which I thought was true. Of course the author does not tell us, the box remains closed, the waveform does not collapse, but a little of what happened when she stepped through the front door could have added to the themes without necessarily making anything certain.
April 6, 2009
A disturbing novel about a woman in crisis. Anna is a single Mom who is devoted to her six year old daughter Lily but still feels a deep void in her life. The book centers around Anna's disappearance during a trip to Italy.
Anna's friends, Paul and Stella, look after Lily during her mother's absence when Anna hasn't returned from her trip when she was expected. As the days pass, Anna's friends fear that something has happened to her. They wonder if she's been abducted or is she staying away for selfish reasons?
In a series of chapters the author moves back and forth in time and place and explores Anna's past and the way it intersects with her present life. The dialogue and psychological insights expose Anna's fear and vulnerability and shows us how modern women struggle to have it all but often must settle for much less.
I would have rated this book a 5 but I didn't particularily like the layout, all this going back and forth. I think the book could have been presented in a better fashion.
Anna's friends, Paul and Stella, look after Lily during her mother's absence when Anna hasn't returned from her trip when she was expected. As the days pass, Anna's friends fear that something has happened to her. They wonder if she's been abducted or is she staying away for selfish reasons?
In a series of chapters the author moves back and forth in time and place and explores Anna's past and the way it intersects with her present life. The dialogue and psychological insights expose Anna's fear and vulnerability and shows us how modern women struggle to have it all but often must settle for much less.
I would have rated this book a 5 but I didn't particularily like the layout, all this going back and forth. I think the book could have been presented in a better fashion.
February 21, 2021
I found the “Home” parts to be rather boring. I skipped some of the chapters, preferring to read about what was going on in Italy.
The whole kidnapping scenario was confusing. I think that it could of been “developed” quite a bit more.
In fact, if the entire book was about her abduction and capture, I think I would of enjoyed it even more.
I wanted to know more about the kidnapper, and why that quickly ended the way that did also. Many unanswered questions.
The ending seemed way too rushed and confusing. Like there was a deadline, and had to wrap it up quickly. Too quickly as it didn’t really make sense at first. I think I might have to reread it to understand exactly what the deal was.
The very last part also had me wondering who it was who picked up the horse? Did it have any significance to anything ? Or was it just some random ?
I liked the book, I just left me feeling unfulfilled, like going to a surprise buffet that gets packed away before you got a chance to fill up and find out just what those last few mystery dishes were....
The whole kidnapping scenario was confusing. I think that it could of been “developed” quite a bit more.
In fact, if the entire book was about her abduction and capture, I think I would of enjoyed it even more.
I wanted to know more about the kidnapper, and why that quickly ended the way that did also. Many unanswered questions.
The ending seemed way too rushed and confusing. Like there was a deadline, and had to wrap it up quickly. Too quickly as it didn’t really make sense at first. I think I might have to reread it to understand exactly what the deal was.
The very last part also had me wondering who it was who picked up the horse? Did it have any significance to anything ? Or was it just some random ?
I liked the book, I just left me feeling unfulfilled, like going to a surprise buffet that gets packed away before you got a chance to fill up and find out just what those last few mystery dishes were....
December 7, 2010
I've not read any Sarah Dunant for ages. This one took me a while to get into. Then I loved it for a long time. Then I got a bit disappointed with the ending. That summarises it pretty well.
This is the Stella's story: her friend Anna goes missing on a trip to Italy and what we have as well as Stella coping with Anna's young daughter is two flights of Stella's imagination as she thinks about what could have happened to Anna. Figuring out the two parallel versions of what could have happened to Anna is what took me a while to get into in the beginning. The similarities and differences between the two stories made for a fabulous middle of the book. But just as I was wondering how on earth the book was going to conclude I was disappointed and I didn't really feel it all came together in the end.
A good read all the same and one that makes me want to seek out the other Dunants that I haven't read.
December 27, 2014
This is a thriller told in several overlapping story lines.
Anna is a single mom who has gone to Italy for a few days on short notice. Her best friends don't know why, but when she doesn't return home when expected they get worried and scared.
Meanwhile - Anna is having two different experiences -- one where she has met up with a secret lover and a second where she has been kidnapped and held against her will while a man lives out some strange fantasy and secretly photographs her.
The third story that is at home with Anna's friends and daughter.
The question is which is real. Is Anna meeting a secret lover or being held hostage? Will she make it home to her daughter? Perhaps it's all an illusion.
Well I enjoyed it and I got into all the story lines and it was well told.
Some questions remain, and I won't give anything away.
The photography aspect was an unexpected twist.
Anna is a single mom who has gone to Italy for a few days on short notice. Her best friends don't know why, but when she doesn't return home when expected they get worried and scared.
Meanwhile - Anna is having two different experiences -- one where she has met up with a secret lover and a second where she has been kidnapped and held against her will while a man lives out some strange fantasy and secretly photographs her.
The third story that is at home with Anna's friends and daughter.
The question is which is real. Is Anna meeting a secret lover or being held hostage? Will she make it home to her daughter? Perhaps it's all an illusion.
Well I enjoyed it and I got into all the story lines and it was well told.
Some questions remain, and I won't give anything away.
The photography aspect was an unexpected twist.
April 28, 2009
I picked this book up from the library because of how much I enjoyed Dunant's "Birth of Venus" and "In the Company of the Courtesan." This one was not written nearly as well as those two- or perhaps I enjoy historical fiction better than the thriller. I liked that there were two scenarios, and the reader was left not knowing which one was true. (One of the reviews on the back of the book indicated that the reader's reaction to each version is almost more telling than the story itself). At any rate, parts of it did drag along, and despite my greatest efforts, I couldn't get myself to care very deeply for the characters. Oh well.
February 9, 2011
It took me a while to click into the technique used by the author -- one of alternating possible scenarios to the mystery of why Anna, the devoted mother of a precocious seven-year-old daughter, doesn't return home as scheduled from a short getaway. The story actually slides among three perspectives -- Scenario #1, Scenario #2, and home, where her daughter and two devoted friends become increasingly perplexed and frightened by Anna's failure to return or call with an explanation.
Once I felt comfortable with the literary scheme, I became intrigued by the characters and the unfolding storyline. A good, solid read.
Once I felt comfortable with the literary scheme, I became intrigued by the characters and the unfolding storyline. A good, solid read.
July 15, 2011
This is the 4th book of Dunant's that I've read. Not the best one. I liked this book, but not a crazy good like.
It is a suspenseful story and a bit of a page turner, which I was ready to read this kind of book.
An English woman and single mother goes to Italy for a short vacation and takes up the offer of a complete stranger for a ride to the airport for her flight home - but he turns out to be a sinister man who had been watching her for a few days. Her ride to the airport turns out to be a nightmare. Meanwhile, back home, her daughter and best friends are on edge when she doesn't arrive home when scheduled and hasn't called.
It is a suspenseful story and a bit of a page turner, which I was ready to read this kind of book.
An English woman and single mother goes to Italy for a short vacation and takes up the offer of a complete stranger for a ride to the airport for her flight home - but he turns out to be a sinister man who had been watching her for a few days. Her ride to the airport turns out to be a nightmare. Meanwhile, back home, her daughter and best friends are on edge when she doesn't arrive home when scheduled and hasn't called.
June 14, 2017
i really liked the first few chapters because i was immediately pulled in by the author's poetic writing style. But it all went down hill from there. The plot simply didn't hold my interest. While i like the idea of alternating yet intertwining stories (which i assume were meant to be the creations of Stella's ruminative imagination), neither of the stories were especially captivating. I have to say assume because the author never made clear whether they WERE stella's thoughts. However, this seems to be the only explanation because neither did she clarify if one or the other were veritable. Needless to say, i found the lack of clarity on the author's part extremely frustrating.
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