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Critic's Corner
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BODY SURFING Readers who loved Shreve's "A Wedding in December," will enjoy "Body Surfing" even more. Shreve is the author of 12 previous books, including, "The Pilot's Wife," which was a selection of Oprah's Book Club. This is an author who speaks to women with a true, and often devastating, reality. Sydney Sklar, married twice, once divorced, once widowed, by the tender age of 29 years, finds herself in a state of emotional limbo. She takes a job tutoring a young woman on the New Hampshire coast. At first the solitude she finds with the Edwards family is exactly what Sydney needs. The summer warmth of the ocean allows her to body surf, a favorite adventure she allows herself. The riptide is dangerous, but something Sydney tries to avoid. Syd's employer, Mark Edwards is a kind man who adores his beautiful, if somewhat slow, daughter. It is Anna's, his wife's, hope that young Julie will be able to attend an Ivy League college. Anna, aloof, almost a direct opposite of her gentle husband, treats Syd as a necessary but unwelcome guest. Julie Edwards, at 18 retains her innocence. She is not an award winning student. Slow when it comes to English and math, but comes into her own when Syd discovers the girl's hidden artistic talent. Julie is shy and overly quiet, somewhat secretive in nature. She learns to love and trust Syd. Into this peaceful setting come Julie's older brothers Jeff and Ben. Jeff is a professor at MIT in Cambridge. Ben is a real estate executive. Better looking than his brother, but less aggressive, and certainly not as interesting as his younger brother. Both young men become enraptured by Syd. "As the weeks pass in this seaside idyll, Syd enters a strange love triangle, infused with old rivalries and bitter secrets she can only guess at. And she begins to fear that the brothers' competition for her affections could tear apart their family— and the fragile existence she has painstakingly rebuilt." Initially the large amount of exposition slowed the story to a crawl. Gradually, I realized the author's intent and relaxed into her style. Shreve has the ability to go deep into human emotions and to carry her readers with her to places some have never before dared go. Once she has you settled into the locale, and familiar with the characters, she takes off on a story of compelling intrigues. The mystery surrounding lovely, gentle, Julie will set you back on your heels. Then, as you recover, you're bounced through a wickedly competitive game between the brothers that rockets you through emotional hoops to the very end. Look for "Body Surfing: A Novel Copyright 2007, Patricia Ann Jones Jones is a published writer and book reviewer for Tulsa World newspaper. To comment on this review you may email pattij777@aol.com |
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," on all the best sellers lists, it's there.
