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Facing the Light
Adele Geras Book Review

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Plot Summary of Facing the Light
"

Dunne, Apr 2004, 24.95, 416 pp.
ISBN: 031231826X

Her two daughters, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren are arriving at Willow Court to celebrate the seventy-fifth birthday of the family matriarch Leonora Simmonds. While her kin pays homage to her, TV film director Sean Everard is doing a special on Leonora's father, renowned Edwardian painter Edwin Walsh.

As undercurrents swirl amidst the gathering family, Leonora dreams of being eight years old back in 1935 when she was sick with the measles and her mother died. Her dream is different than her memories. Soon other events as she remembers them begin to unravel and a dark secret surfaces that if revealed will change a family basking in legendary fame to one hiding in shame.

This engaging family drama uses a cast that would please De Mille, but author Adele Geras gifts each key player with a distinct personality that remains consistent throughout. Though the pace is quite leisurely, the story line hooks the audience from the moment that Rilla knows she is coming home to see her mom and her sister. The plot never lets go until the final revelations about the past and present emerge leaving the extended Simmonds brood and the audience in shock.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Facing the Light
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - present (2000-2010)
Internal struggle/realization? Yes
Struggle over - search for family/history
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - wealthy
Age: - 60's-90's
Ethnicity/Nationality - British
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 3 (some)
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Unusual Style: - a lot of stream of consciousness - No single main character?
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Facing the Light
Summer's Child by Luanne Rice
Susannah's Garden by Debbie Macomber
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Eve Green by Susan Fletcher
Family News by Joan Barfoot


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Adele Geras Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Angela  

SCHOLARS:
Harriet Klausner  


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