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First things first: I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of a GoodReads Giveaway.
Now that that's out of the way....
I really, really enjoyed this book. I first heard about it on the All the Books podcast, and Rebecca made it sound so intriguing. And it lived up to all my expectations.
The narration rotates among four characters: Lizzie, Michael, Finn, and Taylor. Lizzie and Michael are married, child-free writers living in New York City. Finn, Lizzie's one-time summer fling, is now a restauranteur in Portland, ME. Taylor, his wife, is a preppie New Englander who divides her time between running the Portland Tourism office and parenting their daughter, Snow, who has "Extreme Shyness Syndrome". The two couples and Snow have planned a joint trip to Siracusa, a tiny Sicilian town. Of course, with the five of them so close together, all their differences come to the fore, secrets are exposed, and lies are uncovered.
All of the characters are fully-rounded people with flaws and frailties, all trying to put their best face forward and revealing themselves as they share the bits and pieces of what happened on that trip. There's plenty of foreboding in the early chapters, so you, the reader, know from the outset this vacation is going to be more than they bargained for. The hints maintain the suspense right up until the ending, when all the threads weave together.
Now that that's out of the way....
I really, really enjoyed this book. I first heard about it on the All the Books podcast, and Rebecca made it sound so intriguing. And it lived up to all my expectations.
The narration rotates among four characters: Lizzie, Michael, Finn, and Taylor. Lizzie and Michael are married, child-free writers living in New York City. Finn, Lizzie's one-time summer fling, is now a restauranteur in Portland, ME. Taylor, his wife, is a preppie New Englander who divides her time between running the Portland Tourism office and parenting their daughter, Snow, who has "Extreme Shyness Syndrome". The two couples and Snow have planned a joint trip to Siracusa, a tiny Sicilian town. Of course, with the five of them so close together, all their differences come to the fore, secrets are exposed, and lies are uncovered.
All of the characters are fully-rounded people with flaws and frailties, all trying to put their best face forward and revealing themselves as they share the bits and pieces of what happened on that trip. There's plenty of foreboding in the early chapters, so you, the reader, know from the outset this vacation is going to be more than they bargained for. The hints maintain the suspense right up until the ending, when all the threads weave together.