Pat D. (pat0814) reviewed on + 379 more book reviews
Margaret Drabble is a master at character development, and this novel exemplifies her extraordinary talent. The story is told entirely from the point of view of Rosamund, and she emerges as someone eminently likeable. Rosamund is a young woman in the 1960s who becomes pregnant after her first sexual encounter with someone she didn't know very well and who immediately disappears from her life until the end of the book. The irony of her situation is blended with empathy and humor, and made me want her to survive and thrive. The apparently heartless British National Health Service presents numerous challenges, but Rosamund emerges from these experiences with a stronger sense of herself and her place in the world. She endures seemingly endless embarrassments as a pregnant woman with no husband, and ultimately proves herself to be courageous and independent with a child who defines the meaning of love. This book is Drabble at her best.
