BY CATHERINE ARMITSTEAD

 

A novel about starting again in maturity, when past experience makes taking a risk all the more difficult.

Rebecca Winter has moved from New York to a ‘ramshackle cottage’ in the wild, where snowstorms isolate her for days. She has been forced to do this to save money and, at first, thinks it has been a terrible mistake.

The author paints a picture of a woman who enjoyed the ‘mundanity of marriage’ until her husband cheated on her. She found some success with a black-and-white photo that shares the same title as the novel, and made critics proclaim her a feminist icon. Now, however, she has recurring anxiety about her bank balance and feels as though she is living ‘in exile’ until she can afford to move back to the city.

The writing is finely tuned, comparing marriage to a new silk dress that becomes tired and worn, ‘edges of the sleeves gray, there is a spot of wine, the hem drags’. Loneliness makes Rebecca feel ‘as though she was disappearing… being whittled down to just this terrible feeling’.

A raccoon in the cottage roof brings Rebecca into contact with Jim Bates. At the local café, ‘Tea for Two’, run by the over-enthusiastic Sarah, she learns more about Jim. She is hired to photograph the wildlife that he is tracking. She also finds photographic subjects in the strange crosses she sees when out hiking, and a dog that moves in with her.

There is comedy and pathos from other characters, such as Tad, a professional clown, who is inspired by Rebecca’s work to move on himself. Yet the author is also commenting seriously on the themes of troubled relationships, misunderstandings and loneliness. She promotes forgiveness, truth and company, as opposed to isolation.

The book has a quiet, low-key, comforting feel. This is due to Qindlen’s expertise and the novel has, justifiably, made the long-list for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction. A newspaper columnist and best-selling author, Quindlen’s own maturity and experience have produced a polished piece of fiction.

 

This book was published by Hutchinson and is available to buy for £16.99. It can also be borrowed from The Hive as well as other Worcestershire libraries. Click here to check availability and check it out.