Frances, aged twenty-two is drifting through Mexico in the 1970s when she meets a group of glamorous, vacationing Americans. Twenty years later in rural England, her life begins to unravel when she discovers a love letter addressed to her husband and is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.

As she wrestles with her conflicting emotions she is haunted by her memories of her time with the charmed circle of the Severance family and the betrayal and tragedy that marked its ending.

REVIEW

"An unexpected character study, an examination of people caught between the wiles of youth and the wisdom of age and one woman who learns to accept the intrinsic value of both." - Booklist

"A riveting novel in which the deceptively clear narrative voice offers no easy answers." - Kirkus Starred Review

"This novel packs a wallop" - The Free-Lance Star

"A book of sweet studied passion." - ForeWord Reviews

EXCERPT

I was a blonde eating an avocado in a country where avocados were plentiful and blondes were rare, on a hot night over half my lifetime ago.