Thursday, November 11, 2010

A Desirable Residence

by Madeleine Wickham

The wonderful world of real estate serves as a backdrop for Wickham’s novel. A few main characters drive the three main storylines:

• Liz and Jonathan Chambers, a not-so-happily married couple who can’t seem to sell their house. Their situation is further complicated by the tutorial college they’ve purchased. Two mortgages are two too many for them.

• Alice Chambers, the daughter of Liz and Jonathan, misses her old (that can’t be sold). She misses it so much that she befriends the new tenants, Piers and Ginny.

• Marcus Witherstone, the real estate agent who offers his help to Liz. He also offers her other things, if you know what I mean.

While the characters are not all that appealing, their tangled lives are interesting.

And, of course, there is a happy ending. So, it’s not all bad. Still, it’s not nearly as good as Wickham’s later works (published under the name Sophie Kinsella).

11/4/10

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