wolfie0516 reviewed on 1/1/2011

Helpful Score: 4

Great book. I loved the history in it, even if some of the facts and characters were fictionalized and stretched to fit the story. I was really drawn to the main male character, William, who is quite complex and has a darkness to him that I still found very appealing. William suffered sexual abuse as a boy by his tutor, and it left him bitter and jaded. He also had an absent father and a cold and strict mother. He battles the memories of his childhood abuse and tries to find escape through excessive drinking and meaningless one night stands. The story involves a lot of evolving and growing for the main characters, but holds fast to a friendship they developed in their childhood which served as an escape for them when their lives became difficult and/or they lost their way. Each of them went through a lot when they were separated as kids, when he was sent away to school. This story is about them finding each other again and trying to overcome the emotional obstacles they faced with betrayal, abuse (she had an abusive husband), war, and the struggle to survive without money and security. They must fight hard to gain back the trust and love they had for each other as children and to provide the companionship and safety they both crave.

I agree with one reviewer from RT Book Reviews who wrote: "This emotional, well-written novel has characters that are far from conventional; they're complex, heartbreaking and endearing. Readers will be enthralled."

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