A Summer in the Country
*Starred Review* Willett's first book published in the U.S.,A Week in Winter(2001), was very popular with contemporary women's fiction consumers, and comparisons to Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy abounded. Her second book will not disappoint her newly won fans. Like her previous novel, this one is set in the English countryside, and is a complex tale featuring many fully drawn characters, an engaging plot, and lots of scandal, mistrust, and betrayal. Raised by her father after being abandoned by her mother, Brigid has nursed a lifelong resentment of the woman. After her father dies, Brigid inherits the family estate. Soon her mother comes to visit and gradually insinuates herself back into the unwelcoming Brigid's life. In addition to this tempest, Brigid has become fast friends with Louise, a yearly boarder who suspects her husband of infidelity, and she must deal with her half-sister, Jemima, who is hiding quite a few dark secrets of her own, and who is also camping out with Brigid for the summer. As the story unfolds, the women grow to trust and eventually help each other understand their problems and themselves. Readers will enjoy the heartwarming ending, the vibrant characters, and the excellent depiction of the English countryside.Kathleen HughesCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved