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Book Synopsis‘A remarkable case study in the unpredictability of attraction . . . fresh and memorable’ Guardian
‘Even-handed and sensitive, this psychologically acute novel is a compassionate reflection on the commitments we make, both professional and personal’ Esquire
'A superb writer, moving with crisp, swift strokes over the thorny question of how far people ever change’ Daily Mail
From 2016 Man Booker longlisted Virginia Reeves comes a moving and riveting new novel about the head doctor of a mental institution whose marriage and job come under threat when he and a younger patient develop a relationship.
Doctor Ed Malinowski believes he has realized most of his dreams. A passionate, ambitious behavioural psychologist, he is now the superintendent of a mental institution and finally turning the previously crumbling hospital around. He also has a home he can be proud o
Trade Review
‘Reeves’s theme – as in her debut – is the limits of forgiveness. She’s a superb writer, moving with crisp, swift strokes over the thorny question of how far people ever change’ * Daily Mail *
‘A remarkable case study in the unpredictability of attraction . . . fresh and memorable’ * Guardian *
‘[An] unsparing study of a marriage as it falls apart . . . beautifully crafted and the tensions in the initial love triangle are handled with microscopic attention’ * TLS *
‘Marital emotion boils within a cool experimental framework . . . there is not just suffering here—there is also a deep saturation and beauty of experience’ * New Yorker *
‘Even-handed and sensitive, this psychologically acute novel is a compassionate reflection on the commitments we make, both professional and personal’ * Esquire *
‘Reeves alternates between Ed and Laura’s perspectives in cunning ways, creating the rippling effect of a rushing river, as love flows and ebbs over a decade . . . exquisite’ * Entertainment Weekly *
‘Quietly surprising and will make you catch your breath more than once’ -- Helen Ellis, author of American Housewife
‘As compelling, psychologically complex and unpredictable as a real-life love affair, this book is also a profound statement on the limits of rationality and our societal institutions’ -- Brian Van Reet, author of Spoils
‘Extraordinarily moving . . . A truly impressive feat of the imagination’ -- Fiona McFarlane, author of The Night Guest
‘Enhanced by its particular time and place, this unique and uniquely compelling novel explores love, marriage, health, and agency in shifting phases’ * Booklist *
‘Readers who enjoy complex depictions of the lingering commitments of relationships will be swept away by Reeves’s crisp, powerful novel’ * Publishers Weekly *
‘A sensitive examination of love, responsibility and compassion’ * Kirkus *
