  |
|
|
|
Index Interviews: Martin J. Smith Dealing With Rejection Navigating the Self-Publishing Maze Upcoming Events Calendar Reader Mail Return to This Issue's Index Return to Homepage Subscribe
|
|
General Fiction ReviewsThe Best of Friends by Joanna TrollopeViking, June 1998.Hardcover, 293 pages. ISBN: 0670879738. Ordering information: Amazon.com. 
Bestselling British author Joanna Trollope again visits the
world of middle-class England and its values
in this poignant and sometimes funny human
drama. Gina and Laurence have been friends since
childhood, although they grew up to marry other people.
When Gina's husband announces one day that he simply
can't stand Gina anymore and leaves (taking exactly
one half of the furniture), she is devastated and turns to
her old friend Laurence. When the friendship ignites a
spark of passion, the fallout is disastrous to both extended
families, especially to the teenaged children of both families.
The book follows the families as they pick up the pieces of
their lives and try to make some sense of the varied and
complex relationships in which they find themselves.
Trollope, best known for The Rector's Wife, which was made into a television drama shown in the U.S. on PBS, is at her best in this tale of love, betrayal, aging, marriages and the tragedy of divorce on children. Her characters are vividly human, with a host of frailties, insecurities and secret passions. Some of the characters are likable, while others are simply irritatingly self-centered -- just like real people. Her teenage portrayals are dead-on, and illustrate the effects of divorce on that sensitive and insecure age group. Another gripping drama from an extremely talented author. Return to Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of general fiction books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |