Published in 1938 and set in London during the 1930s, this is a tale of innocence betrayed, of passion, misunderstanding and the emotional atrophy of grown-ups.
When 16-year-old Portia comes to stay with her cool, elegant relations in Windsor Terrace overlooking Regent’s Park, she meets Eddie, an attractive young philanderer, and falls in love.
Elizabeth Bowen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Bowen) gives us a slow burn narrative tracing the destruction of one young girl’s innocent expectations of love. Bowen’s eye for detail is remarkable and her style refined. Her insight, too, into the layers of psychology driving her characters is what makes this a work that will stay in your memory for a long time.
368 pages in Vintage Classic paperback edition.
ISBN 978-0099276456
Elizabeth Bowen