Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: April 2004
ISBN: 006012918
Awards:  
Format Reviewed: Paperback
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Genre:   Fiction /general
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Barbara Buhrer
Reviewer Notes:
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WindFallen  
By Jojo Moyes

    Lottie Swift was born in London's East Side and as a child was evacuated during World War II to the English village of Merham. Eventually, the Holden family took her in for good. In her late teens with her best friend, Celia Holden Lottie takes to visiting Arcadia, a magnificent art deco house on a seaside cliff. Arcadia is presently the home of an exotic clan of Bohemians. When Lottie and Celia are caught misbehaving with the Arcadians, Celia is sent off to business school in London. She returns at the end of school with a fiancé, Guy. From her first glance at him, Lottie believes Guy is her destiny. The two find compatible tastes in the life of the people of Arcadia. Lottie must decide whether to betray Celia, no longer her best friend, or to hide her feelings for Guy.

    Half a century later, Daisy Parsons, an interior designer, is hired by a London developer to make Arcadia into a fashionable hotel. Daisy's lover and partner has left her after their baby is born. She arrives at Merham, determined to raise her child and put her life to rights. Lottie is now an embittered matron who has ignored the townspeople. She befriends Daisy and offers to act as the baby's nanny.

   During the renovation of Arcadia, Daisy uncovers a mural painted by the former inhabitants, which depicts scenes of Arcadia's past. This revives painful memories for Lottie that she must reconcile.

   This is a beautifully written saga of lost loves, opportunities missed and friendships in turmoil. The characters, both past and present, are well portrayed. The writer has probed inside the two women ( Lottie and Daisy) to understand their bond and discover what motivates them.

   This is a deep thoughtful and thoroughly provoking story.