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Windfallen
Jojo Moyes Book Review

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Plot Summary of Windfallen
"

Morrow, Apr 2003, 24.95, 383 pp.
ISBN: 0060012900

Teenage Londoner Lottie Swift finds the seaside village of Merham quite delightful as no one dare break the rules of morality less they prefer exile or being ostracized. However, the conversion of Arcadia mansion into a retreat for bohemian artists causes monumental conflict, as the locals detest the nonconformist outsiders. Lottie relishes the new infusion of excitement that the avant-garde crowd brings.

Five decades later, Daisy Parsons arrives at the small back to sleep village to renovate Arcadia into a luxury hotel. The villagers once again abhor the thought of amoral outsiders descending on their hamlet. Insecure from a failed relationship, Daisy discovers a mural that portrays scenes from the mansion's ignominious past. Daisy's work begins destroying the emotional cocoon that Lottie has resided since her teen days.

WINDFALLEN is a well-written comparative character study that interweaves the past and the present into a cohesive tale. The story line enables the audience to see deep inside the two women so that everyone understands what motivates both and the tenuous relationship and bond which forms between them. Though limited in action, Jojo Moyes provides readers with a deep drama that focuses on the long-term impact of personal opportunity costs.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Windfallen
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - present (2000-2010)
Inside culture (main char) - British
Culture clash? - family young v. old guard
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
If story of urban/rural... - Small town life
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes
Woman's story? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - business executive
Age: - 40's-50'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
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - hostile, like Gomer Pyle on steroids

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style: - a lot of play on words - a lot of flashback and forwards - a lot of stream of consciousness - No single main character?
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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