Title: Nuns and soldiers
First published: 1980
Description: Set in London and in the South of France, this brilliantly structured novel centers on two women: Gertrude Openshaw, bereft from the recent death of her husband, yet awakening to passion; and Anne Cavidge, who has returned in doubt from many years in a nunnery, only to encounter her personal Christ. A fascinating array of men and women hover in urgent orbit around them: the "Count," a lonely Pole obsessively reliving his émigré father's patriotic anguish; Tim Reede, a seedy yet appealing artist, and Daisy, his mistress; the manipulative Mrs. Mount; and many other magically drawn characters moving between desire and obligation, guilt and joy. This edition of Nuns and Soldiers includes a new introduction by renowned religious historian Karen Armstrong.
Subjects: Artists, Fiction, Triangles (Interpersonal relations), Ex-nuns, Female friendship, Widows, Fiction, general, Salvation, Romance fiction, British and irish fiction (fictional works by one author)
Places: Southern France, London (England)