TAKING THE HEAT

by Eugenia Zukerman ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1991

Zukerman, flutist and author of Deceptive Cadence (1980), takes a great leap forward with this playful, sophisticated tale of a musician on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Nora Watterman disapproves of extramarital affairs, but she has fallen into one nonetheless and she blames her husband's inattention for having succumbed. A flutist who gave up her career for husband, baby, and a house in the suburbs of New York, Nora suffers acute guilt each time she meets her handsome lover, but she can't bring herself to break off either the affair or her marriage to Bernie, a balding TV news producer. Bernie's discovery of the affair only makes matters worse: though Nora stops seeing her lover, her husband's anguish over her betrayal and his constant browbeating threaten to destroy what's left of their marriage. To escape their dilemma, the couple plan a driving vacation through the Southwest with their teen-aged son, but this, too, ends in disaster when the boy is killed in a car wreck. Grief-stricken, Nora attempts suicide and, when that fails, flees to her father's house in an Arizona retirement community, then finally signs up for a job in a Cracow orchestra in an effort to heal herself through contact with her Polish-Jewish roots. Amid the chaos of an evolving Poland, surrounded by overworked, unsympathetic colleagues, Nora miraculously finds a reason to live again--and returns to the States ready to enjoy a life that hasn't stopped handing her surprises. Light yet memorable entertainment--with an understated passion and a healthy dose of corny musicians' jokes--from a writer who shows great promise.

Pub Date: March 1, 1991

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1991

Categories: FICTION