Winter Solstice
Rosamunde Pilcher's novel, despite its chilly setting, will warm the  hearts of her growing army of loyal fans.Winter Solsticehas all the  familiar trademarks of a Pilcher saga, spun in her inimitable, homey, beguiling  style. The story is told, chapter by chapter, from the perspectives of an  eclectic array of characters. Former actress Elfrida--not very good by her own  admission--leaves London for a geriatric bolthole in the country where she meets  retired schoolmaster and organist, Oscar. Meanwhile, Carrie (Elfrida's second  cousin), returns to London from Austria where she had a brilliant career in the  tourist industry, only to find her niece, 14-year-old Lucy, sadly neglected by  her selfish mother and equally spoiled grandmother. Finally, handsome Sam is  recalled from New York by his company chairman to revive an ailing Scottish  textile mill.As one character after another must learn to live with their losses, they find  themselves collectively spirited northwards, from Sussex to Scotland, by way of  Cornwall. And, as events unfurl, slowly, surely, but inevitably, those in need  find solace in unexpected places. While her characterizations are generally  carefully crafted and entirely rounded, Pilcher's greatest strengths lie in her  natural, easy narratives of everyday life and her thoroughly researched and  captivating descriptions of scenery and surroundings.--Carey Green