CRAZY IN LOVE

by Luanne Rice ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 16, 1988

As in her affecting first novel, Angels All Over Town (1985), Rice focuses here on the bonds of family love--bonds that may appear gossamer-like, but usually turn out, at least in Rice's work, to be strong as steel. Narrator Georgie Swift is thoroughly wrapped up in her family mythology. What she wants most in life is for everything to stay the same at Bennison Point--the family compound in seaside Connecticut where she and her husband Nick live, along with Georgie's mother, grandmother, sister Clare, and Clare's family. But, amidst the sunshine and family picnics, there are worries: Is handsome Nick having an affair with a woman from his Wall Street law firm? Will Grandmother Pem accidentally set the house on fire with her scatty attempts to make toast in the morning? Is the seaplane that Nick and brother-in-law Donald use for commuting really going to land safely each night? When things finally do go awry at Bennison Point, however, the tragedy hits in a way that Georgie's worrying had never anticipated. It's a bolt from the blue--real life invades the family compound. And everything changes. For Rice's readers, though, these changes will be something of a relief. Because after two hundred pages, pretty Georgie fretting over handsome Nick has worn thin as paper. The writing in this novel sparkles. It's clear and bright and rippled with humor. But Georgie remains a defiantly flat character. When disaster strikes at home, it pumps some life into her, but, ultimately, it's too little, too late. Rice's second may not be her strongest, but her talent is evident and the territory she's staked--delving deep into family life--leaves her plenty of space to explore.

Pub Date: Aug. 16, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1988

Categories: FICTION