Helpful Score: 2
A great read. Takes place after the death of a domineering mother who leaves behind two grown children who have lived with her. It is a type of coming of age novel. Filled with great British humor. I learned about the book in a NYT review and had to wait some time for it as it is in great demand in Britain.
Wonderful characters with a surprising life.
Penelope Lively writes with grace and precision. I always feel as if I have spent time in the English countryside when I read her books, and Passing On is no exception. It is the story of three siblings who deal with the legacy left by a cold and domineering mother. Helen's attraction to a man who is unwilling to return her sentiments is poignant, as is her brother's lonely existence and reluctant acknowledgement of his homosexuality. Edward is not a particularly likeable character, and I was disturbed that his transgression against an adolescent boy was not reported to the police. Clearly, there is a great divide between being gay and being a pedophile. The third sibling, Louise, doesn't live with her brother and sister in the house in which they all grew up, but her problems are also revealed in the course of the book. Helen's self-respect eventually emerges and provides a strength of character that is a reassuring conclusion.
