Synopsis
Alma and Coral had grown up together in an autonomous, conspiratorial world of adult mystery and children's submission. As they grew older, each regarded the other as an impediment from which there seemed to be no escape. So perhaps it was inevitable that they were to inflict a similar relationship on their daughters, Dorcas and Lally.
For Coral, Lally is an investment rather than a daughter to love and cherish. As she waits for her investment to mature, she practises petty acts of calculated cruelty and humiliation on Lally's friend Dorcas, whose mother is struggling to make ends meet after her husband's death. But as the girls mature, the balance of power subtly shifts. And when, during those long, sunny Devon summers, they turn their attention to young men, it is Lally who suffers the consequences of Coral's legacy.
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Review
A calm, unangry, humorous novel of great and civilised sensibility, and a real pleasure to read (Fay Weldon, Mail on Sunday)
Elegant, heartwarming comedy, shot through with sly humour (Daily Telegraph)
A touching, bittersweet story (Woman & Home)
the poise and gently malicious enjoyment of a younger Muriel Spark, waiting to pounce. (Literary Review)
a sensitive page-turner ... clever, and quietly compelling. (BBC Homes & Antiques)
Book Description
Carpe Diem! Learn how not to save the best for last. In other words, how to eat grapes from the plump, juicy ones on top, down
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