“Tessa Hadley is well-known for her inimitable portrayal of character and her latest effort, Late in the Day, is no disappointment…. A smart exploration of human nature, desire, and friendship.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
This story revolves around four characters, Christine, Zachary, Alex and Lydia. The book begins with the death of Zachary who is married to Lydia. Christine is married to Alex.
Flashbacks tells us the prior history of these people, how originally Lydia and Alex were together and Zachary was with Christine. They have been very close friends for years and Zachary’s sudden death just devastates all of them. Alex and Christine convince Lydia to stay with them for awhile, and it is this decision which will eventually create problems for the group and their families.
While some of the story is predictable, it is still an interesting look at how death affects close friends in so many confusing ways, and how the children of these friends, looking from the outside in, adds to the confusion and pain that everyone is experiencing.
It wills also a story of how the past is never truly gone, and how it can come back to add more fuel to a simmering fire.
Reviewed by:
Richard Franco
Added 2nd March 2019
