Julia

March 1, 2003
Living in post-World War II London, Peter Kane, although married and the father of two young sons, takes advantage of his native charm and irregular working schedule as a member of one of London's premier orchestras to engage in affairs with any woman who catches his eye. Self-absorbed, young, and lonely Julia Jacobs agrees to babysit so Peter and his wife can have some evenings out together, but he soon seduces her. His wife claims she wants a divorce to punish him but is unhappy when he agrees. He and Julia first live together, then marry when she becomes pregnant, but they are two self-indulgent people who cannot pull together when tragedy strikes, and they drift apart. As history repeats itself with Peter and Julia's sister, Harrod-Eagles crosses the line from popular to literary fiction, expertly revealing her characters' amorality and self-justifying rationalizations. Short-listed for Britain's Parker Romantic Novelists Award, this suspenseful tale exerts a powerful fascination.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)