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Title details for An Act of Love by Nancy Thayer - Available

An Act of Love

by Nancy Thayer
Barbara Caruso
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Reminiscent of Judith Guest's Ordinary People, this novel is a deeply moving portrait of a family torn apart by a search for truth. Deftly capturing both the comfort and security of family bonds and the pain when these bonds are assaulted, Nancy Thayer has created a powerful domestic drama. The McFarland's marriage is a success: they rejoice in their seven years together and in the friendship that has developed between Emily and Bruce, teenaged children from each of their first marriages. But when Emily attempts suicide at her boarding school, it is only the first indication of a dangerous compulsion simmering beneath the calm surface of the McFarland household. From its stark opening scene in a hospital emergency room to the final hopeful evening, An Act of Love will hold you in its spell. Narrator Barbara Caruso adds both warmth and emotional tension to a story that challenges conventional notions of punishment and forgiveness.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 30, 1997

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781449871130
      • File size: 293649 KB
      • Duration: 10:11:46

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 1, 1997
      Owen and Linda McFarland, both novelists, have been married for seven years and reside on a Massachusetts farm with Bruce and Emily, the children from each of their respective first marriages. Their uneventful existence is disrupted, however, when Emily, now a teenager attending the same boarding school as Bruce, attempts suicide. After voluntarily staying on at the psychiatric hospital, Emily, whose recent behavioral changes include sudden weight gain and newfound religious devotion, reveals in therapy that the reason behind her despair is that her stepbrother raped her, a charge that Bruce vehemently denies. Will it be worse for the McFarlands if Emily is telling the truth, or if she's lying? And will their relationship survive the ultimate test of the hypothetical notion that one's stepchildren are as important as one's own? Thayer renders this potentially soapy situation in everyday terms, creating a moving chronicle of one family's pain. An unconventional ending may give readers pause but will undoubtedly prompt some rethinking of their definitions of crime and punishment. As she continues to address modern domestic issues, Thayer (Belonging) shows a firm grasp of her craft. Major ad/promo; Literary Guild alternate; TV rights to ABC-TV.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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