Starting Over
- Book Review,
by Robin Pilcher
From Publishers Weekly
ilcher's sophomore and sophomoric effort (after his New York Times bestselling An Ocean Apart) is all about second chances: second chances for romance, of course, but also for loving relationships between fathers and sons. The central soap revolves around Liz Dewhurst, now living on the family farm in the Scottish coastal village of Fife, following the bustup of her 18-year marriage. Potential love interests include an older Canadian professor who becomes her boarder, his estranged son, and Gregor, Liz's adulterous ex, who's always hovering around the sidelines. Meanwhile, the future of the farm is in question, with developers threatening to build a golf course in its place. Clunky storytelling, unlikely dialogue from characters who speechify rather than speak ("You can't change destiny, lass. You can't get your pebble back once you've thrown it") and a lack of tension are prime culprits in leaching the pleasure from a book presented as the novelistic equivalent of easy-listening music. Gregor is the closest thing to a villain here, but even he is a decent sort at heart. Furthermore, American readers may find it hard to credence American characters made to say things like, "I was just being bloody-minded." Although the last line of the book suggests otherwise ("Life does have a funny way of throwing up the least-expected things"), there's nothing unexpected here. (Jan.)Forecast: The same readers who made An Ocean Apart a bestseller (especially fans of Rosamunde Pilcher, the author's mother) may do so again. Judging by the 100,000-copy first printing, national advertising campaign and author tour, St. Martin's expects so. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The family farm is about to go under, but at least divorcee Liz has an attractive older man as a boarder. With a charming Scottish setting, of course. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From AudioFile
Robin Pilcher is the son of famed novelist Rosamunde Pilcher, and while STARTING OVER takes place in Scotland and Spain, as do some of his mother's works, it's unfair to say that Robin's novel builds on his mother's work. He has written an enjoyable tale of love and coping that clearly stands on its own. It tells the story of an old farm family faced with the very modern problems of divorce and finances. The family likely will be forced to sell the farm to pay debts, leaving them without a living or a lifestyle. Lynn Redgrave, who has read all but two of Rosamunde's novels, is the reader here, as well. She does a first-rate job. Her Scottish, Canadian, and Australian accents ring true, and she distinguishes characters effectively, which is important as the novel is dialogue driven. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
From Booklist
Pilcher has definitely inherited his mother's talent (she's best-selling novelist Rosamunde Pilcher), and his second novel should prove that he isn't riding on her coattails. His characters are ordinary people enriched by his quiet rendering of their lives in a tale of few fireworks but lots of emotion. At 38 Liz Dewhurst's life changes dramatically from the placidity of being a farm wife in the small Scottish town of Balmuir. She leaves her husband because he's been cheating on her; her mother dies; and her father's farm is almost bankrupt. The farm would make a wonderful natural golf course, although Liz and her father, a fifth-generation farmer, find it hard to envision the land so used. The other problem is Liz's husband. He wants the course built, but Liz is very reluctant to talk to him and his current amour. Just to complicate matters, Liz takes in a handsome older boarder, her son's professor at Saint Andrew's University. His presence enlivens the household and starts Liz thinking about her future and what she has missed. Pilcher has written one of those smart, charming stories that leaves readers feeling content and very happy that they chose to read it. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"Pilcher writes with an excellent sense of the pace of his story. It's easy to feel you know these people and to grasp the complexities of their relationships...a worthy novel." -Houston Chronicle
"[Pilcher's] characters are ordinary people enriched by [the] quiet rendering of their lives in a tale [with] lots of emotion...one of those smart, charming stories that leaves readers feeling content and very happy that they chose to read it." -Booklist
Book Description
Robin Pilcher, bestselling author of An Ocean Apart returns readers to contemporary Scotland, where the "simple" life has grown somewhat more complicated, but the shortest distance between lonely hearts will always be love...
Sometimes The Hardest Thing In Life...
Liz Dewhurst has witnessed quite a bit in her thirty-seven years: the birth of her son, the death of her mother, the waxing and waning days on the farm where she was raised...the sight of her husband in another woman's arms. Suddenly, she's feeling worn down and used up by the very lifestyle upon which she once thrived. Bitterness at her broken marriage has distanced her from her son, Alex-even as she's poured all her remaining energy into battling the development company that wants to purchase her family's land to build a golf course.
...Is To Live It
Now Liz must confront a few things, including the fate of the farm, her feelings for her ex-husband, and a trip to Spain that rekindles a fire in her she had forgotten existed. The Liz who returns to Balmuir is a different woman. Now, in the wake of a near-tragedy, she must draw on her newfound strength to make a difficult choice. To look at her life in a different way, standing tall, and...
Starting Over
Inside Flap Copy
Praise for ROBIN PILCHER and STARTING OVER
"As the story comes to an end, all of the characters must make decisions that will affect the direction of their lives. After we, as readers, have come to know them, we can't help but care what they choose."
-Chattanooga Times
"Warmly written...down to earth."-Desert News (Salt Lake City, UT)
"Every once in a while, a romance writer like Robin Pilcher comes along with a story that is just plain fun to read, that introduces characters that are worth getting to know, and that isn't necessarily predictable, even though it may tell a story we already know on some level...it is not surprising, then, that he clearly understand the expectations of the romance novel. What is also clear is that Pilcher, the son, understands much about families...and he encourages us with the thought that, even in the worst of times, there is the hope of starting over."-Anniston Star
"Pilcher has definitely inherited his mother's talent...and his second novel should prove that he isn't riding on her coattails. His characters are ordinary people enriched by his quiet rendering of their lives in a tale [with] lots of emotion...Pilcher has written one of those smart, charming stories that leaves readers feeling content and very happy that they chose to read it."-Booklist
"Fans of Pilcher's first novel, and of Pilcher's writing mom, Rosamunde Pilcher, will enjoy this book."-Roanoke Times
AN OCEAN APART
"Warm and readable"-The Washington Post
"With...Scottish sensibility and captivating wordplay, Pilcher crafts a fine and fulfilling novel that will please fans not only of [Rosamunde Pilcher]'s books, but of Maeve Binchy's as well."-Booklist
"[Robin Pilcher] shares...a warmth that seems quite genuine, a real fondness for...characters, a reverence for family that's rare these days."-The Orlando Sentinel
"[A] long, full tale...AN OCEAN APART is told by a born storyteller."-The San Diego Union-Tribune
"Pilcher's Scotland [is] peopled with faithful retainers, loyal workers, doughty veterans, cricketers, and dog lovers....It's a land Pilcher knows intimately."-Los Angeles Times
"AN OCEAN APART engages you from the start...the plot benefits from a nice touch of humor. A good easy read."-Greensboro News & Record
"Pilcher...writes of family and friends, love and death, grief and recovery with every bit as much insight and meticulous detail as...celebrated novelist Rosamunde Pilcher....Highly recommended."-Library Journal
"Rosamunde's fans will not be disappointed...An enjoyable read."-Chattanooga Times
"A fast, easy read with the happy ending the reader wants."-The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Back Cover Copy
Robin Pilcher, bestselling author of An Ocean Apart returns readers to contemporary Scotland, where the "simple" life has grown somewhat more complicated, but the shortest distance between lonely hearts will always be love...
Sometimes The Hardest Thing In Life...
Liz Dewhurst has witnessed quite a bit in her thirty-seven years: the birth of her son, the death of her mother, the waxing and waning days on the farm where she was raised...the sight of her husband in another woman's arms. Suddenly, she's feeling worn down and used up by the very lifestyle upon which she once thrived. Bitterness at her broken marriage has distanced her from her son, Alex-even as she's poured all her remaining energy into battling the development company that wants to purchase her family's land to build a golf course.
...Is To Live It
Now Liz must confront a few things, including the fate of the farm, her feelings for her ex-husband, and a trip to Spain that rekindles a fire in her she had forgotten existed. The Liz who returns to Balmuir is a different woman. Now, in the wake of a near-tragedy, she must draw on her newfound strength to make a difficult choice. To look at her life in a different way, standing tall, and...
Starting Over
"Pilcher writes with an excellent sense of the pace of his story. It's easy to feel you know these people and to grasp the complexities of their relationships...a worthy novel." -Houston Chronicle
"[Pilcher's] characters are ordinary people enriched by [the] quiet rendering of their lives in a tale [with] lots of emotion...one of those smart, charming stories that leaves readers feeling content and very happy that they chose to read it." -Booklist
About the Author
Robin Pilcher has spent too long behind the scenes. Pilcher has worked as a farmer, assistant film cameraman, and PR consultant, and is the child of bestselling novelist Rosamunde Pilcher. An Ocean Apart, Robin Pilcher's first novel, was a New York Times bestseller and a favorite among Pilcher fans, old and new.
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