In this glittering family saga, Amber Sall has been raised in a world of wealth and privilege by her powerbroker father, Max Sall. Smart, shrewd, and determined to achieve, whatever the cost, Amber jet-sets around the globe, more like Max than she'll ever know, finding support in her best friends, Becky and Madeleine, whose own lives are spiraling out of control. Paola, Amber's half-sister, groomed by her mother to succeed where she failed--getting a man to marry her--is determined to receive everything Amber has, anyway she can. Amber and Paola's father, Max--rich, utterly ruthless, and a man without a past--is married to Angela, a society debutante who fell in love with him back when he was still an enigmatic, handsome chauffeur. Angela broke her parents' hearts when she married Max, and has come to rely on alcohol to cope with his infidelity. And Francesca, Max's longtime mistress, once a glamorous Alitalia airline stewardess, sees in Angela's husband her ticket out of the Italian provinces.

Moving effortlessly across five decades and several continents, SAFFRON SKIES is a magnificent story of sisters, friends, families, and love from Lesley Lokko, an outstanding new voice in women's fiction.

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Good read but I expected more. The intertwining of the lives of the Sall family are engrossing, but somehow I expected more.

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The power of friendship and love prevail against unlikely odds in Lokko's overstuffed, globe-trotting family epic. The saga, which begins in 1972 London, primarily focuses on lonely Amber Sall and her friends, artistically gifted Becky Aldridge and poor, intelligent Madeline Szabo. Amber yearns for the approval of her illustrious father, Max, but he's too occupied with his work and second family in Rome to notice. Amber's half-sister, the gorgeous Paola, grows into a vixen, and the two compete over everything, including, eventually, Tendé Ndiaye, a West African business associate of their father. Years blur together as Amber and friends embark on their own lives, rarely making contact with one another aside from infrequent visits; Madeline becomes a doctor, Becky finds work in a gallery and Amber becomes a journalist before marrying Tendé. Paola never outgrows her licentiousness, and it proves, predictably, to be her undoing. Political strife in Mali, meanwhile, portends possible disaster for Tendé, but help from an unexpected source saves the day.

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an absolute must read. You won't be able to put it down.

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The book was an international book of the month selection. I found it hard to put down. Fast paced story of sisters, half-sisters, globe trotting excitement. Absorbing relationships, glamour, through five decades. A good read.

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I loved this book- I read it in a few days,

It tells the story of a family over the course of all their lives.

I thought it was great!

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International Book of the Month

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This is a Quality Paperback Book Club exclusive, which is probably why the ISBN didn't come up. It's a doorstop trade paperback, kind of like "Dynasty" set in London and various African locales. Good for those who like to take their time with a book, it's not a fast read.

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