Sheer Abandon
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4.4 • 37 Ratings
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- £5.99
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
An abandoned baby girl, a secret, the story of survival - Penny Vincenzi's SHEER ABANDON is the story of one desperate act, and the consequences that follow... 'Like a glass of champagne: bubbly, moreish and you don't want it to end' Daily Express Perfect for readers of Elizabeth Buchan, Jilly Cooper or Santa Montefiore
One night in 1986 an abandoned baby girl is found in a cupboard at Heathrow airport. A year earlier Martha, Clio and Jocasta had met by chance, at the start of a backpacking adventure: they travelled together briefly and then went their own ways, swearing to meet again when they return home. But it would be a long time until they met again: not until Kate, the foundling, is a teenager, and all three are leading successful lives. Martha is a single, highly paid lawyer, Clio a doctor, locked in an unhappy marriage, and Jocasta a reporter, in love with a charming commitment-phobe. Which of them is Kate's mother? Why was she desperate enough to do such a thing, and how did she survive it?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
British bestseller Vincenzi (No Angel) pulls out all the stops in this orchestral saga. In 1985, three young British women meet in a Heathrow departure lounge en route to precollege sojourns. One of them, upon her return to England, secretly gives birth and abandons the baby in a cleaning supplies closet at the airport; "Baby Bianca" captivates the public's sympathies until she is adopted. The mystery of who her mother is serves as the spine of this fat, satisfying novel, and Vincenzi creates multiple intrigues around the three women: Jocasta, a rising tabloid journalist (Vincenzi wrote for Vogue and Cosmopolitan); Clio, a physician specializing in geriatrics; and Martha, a corporate lawyer running for Parliament. It's 16 years before they all meet again, and Baby Bianca has matured into a stunning blonde teen, Kate, who is summarily exploited by a ruthless fashion editor as she searches for her mother. The various narrative themes crescendo through several all-hands-on-deck scenes, including a swank party where daughter almost meets mother, and a packed funeral where someone figures out who the father is. Although some of the male characters are too overbearing to be believed (especially Clio's sneering surgeon husband), the women are, without exception, multifaceted, smart and brave, and their happiness is hard won. A U.K. bestseller, the book offers major escape and abandon for summer.
Customer Reviews
Sheer abandon
Good story, as always from this author, couple of nice twists but also quite predictable in some parts. I guessed very early on who the secret father was. Good read though