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Book Reviews Title After
The Fire Fiction-Net
Rating Buy It
From Amazon.co.uk - BUY
NOW! Cover
Story WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
THE PICTURE PERFECT MARRIAGE DISSOLVES? In her stunning
new novel, New York Times bestselling author Belva
Plain penetrates a shattered marriage to explore
one of the most provocative issues of our time.
Once again Plain proves herself the writer who sets
the standard for family stories in a novel that is
at once harrowing and deeply moving. Gerald and
Hyacinth had the kind of marriage others envied.
She was beautiful artist. He was a brilliant
plastic surgeon. Theirs was a comfortable, happy
home with two wonderful children. Then whispers of
betrayal tainted Hy's perfect marriage. And in one
terrible night she commits an act she will regret
for the rest of her life. An act that gives Gerald
the ultimate weapon: blackmail. The price of his
silence is uncontested custody of their two
children. When her own beautiful, angry mother
wants to know why she won't fight for custody, Hy
can find no answers. But deep in her heart, Hy
knows there is one question that she must answer if
she wants to free herself from a life of lies: What
really happened that terrible night? Only then can
she reclaim her children, her pride, her life - at
last. We
Say No matter how we
may feel about it, divorce is common in our
society. Often the individuals who suffer the most
are the children. The plight of children surviving
the divorce of their parents has been the subject
of much discussion and debate. Although some
couples manage an amicable separation, others use
their children as pawns to get what they want.
Discord among parents is not a new theme but, in
Belva Plain's novel, After the Fire, Plain takes
this theme to an unusual and heartbreaking
level. In After the
Fire, we are introduced to a woman who is forced to
give up her children when she is divorced from her
husband. While society may view absentee fathers as
the norm, a mother who gives up custody of her
children is often castigated. This is the issue
that drew me to this novel. How could any mother
give up her children? After some terrible act that
Hyacinth, the main character, commits she is forced
by her estranged husband to give up custody of
their two children. What could be so unforgivable
that her husband uses the incident as blackmail to
gain sole custody of their children? While we know
from the beginning that Hyacinth is doomed to
suffer the loss of her children, the story unfolds
with painful foreboding. Plain takes her reader
along a journey where each step brings her
character closer to certain doom. Not unlike the
Greek tragedies, the reader can see that the
choices Hyacinth makes, condemns her despite the
best efforts of all who love her. The desire to
shake Hyacinth until she realises the mistake she
is making in marrying Gerald is at times
uncontrollable. What evolves is a story full of the
same subtle manipulations that Gerald is so adroit
at using against Hyacinth. Plain
demonstrates that although we would like to think
that life is a fairy tale, real life is often
unfair and cruel. Although some things that happen
to Hyacinth are a little far fetched, the main
issues of betrayal are very close to reality. What
made this novel so engaging was the fact that
things like this happen to good people, both men
and women and that is a terrifying thought. It is
almost impossible for a good person to deal with a
person who lacks any conscience. How can you fight
someone who doesn't fight fair or forces you to
consider doing things that are complete against all
that you believe in? This novel is not just about
the consequences of divorce, it is a novel about
power and one man's need to have complete control.
Physical abuse is absent but the remaining mental
abuse is just as damaging. Gerald lacks any sense
of what is right and the result is that Hyacinth
suffers. Plain has done an excellent job creating a
woman who struggles to correct what she believes is
an unforgivable mistake. After the Fire
threatened to overwhelm me at times. It may make
you take a second look at your own choices in life.
Who do you give power over yourself? Do you really
see your partner, or do you only see what you want
to? How does one survive after being betrayed by
someone you love so dearly? Plain recounts
Hyacinth's tale with clarity and insight making
this a novel worth reading. Review by: Yumi
Nagasaki-Taylor |
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