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Review
'An imaginative novel . . . with themes of miscommunication, perfectionism and adolescence.'
(Eve )‘Jessica Duchen's debut novel is captivating, imaginative and fascinating. As a musician and a mother, I recognized many of the scenarios and found the questions that were posed very poignant, both from a musical and personal perspective. The pace builds powerfully to a dramatic and ultimately very moving conclusion. Completely gripping!’
(Tasmin Little )
'Adam and Sasha appear to have the perfect life - good jobs, a nice home, money and three perfect children. But as their marriage begins to unravel, their ballet-crazy daughter starts staving herself - and her parents are too preoccupied to notice. A haunting, heartbreaking novel.'
(Closer )'A sensitive and thought-provoking novel that will resonate all the more for those with musical leanings.'
(Femke Colborne, MUSO )'Jessica Duchen has crafted a riveting drama set within the arts world . . . The neatly-composed plot charges to a climax as steadily as Ravel’s Boléro, with Duchen capturing well the inner world of the pubescent girl and the London classical music scene. For fans of Joanna Trollope and Russian composers alike.'
(Classic FM Magazine )'Wonderful! Thank you for hours of absorption - I had to know what happened to the characters.'
(Steven Isserlis )'Duchen writes with a rhythm and pace that embrace a tellingly perceptive and articulate portrayal of the nuances of the human condition, richly detailed and yet always fluent.'
(Classical Music Magazine )Classic FM Magazine, June 2006
'A riveting drama... for fans of Joanna Trollope and Russian
composers alike.'
composers alike.'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Leaves you utterly gobsmacked . Brilliant!,
By
This review is from: Rites of Spring (Hardcover)
This supebly written story had me bawling my heart out. You live each momment. The author pulls you into the book from the word go, and I found it very hard to put down! Emotional, true to life, excellent storyline. A fantastic read.You wont be disappointed.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sensitive, moving and marvellous,
By K Shelley "K Shelley" (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Rites of Spring (Paperback)
I read this first in hardback; now I'm buying the paperback for all my friends' birthdays. I just couldn't put it down.
It's not really a book about anorexia, but about the sensitive balance of dynamics within the family and what can happen when they're out of kilter. Liffy, 13, is an adorable, vulnerable heroine. She and her pretentious mother, bereaved father, lovelorn aunt, and infuriating twin brothers feel like real people who are struggling to cope with what life throws at them, as we all do. And the cats are wonderful. I found 'Rites of Spring' sensitive, beautifully written, compulsively readable and very moving. One review, quoted in the paperback, compared it to Joanna Trollope, but I'd say it's several cuts above, and incidentally you don't need to know anything about classical music to enjoy it. I hope we'll have lots more from this fascinating writer.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
an enjoyable read,
By
This review is from: Rites of Spring (Paperback)
Adam is having a mid-life crisis; he hates his (well paid) job, and, when he is offered a significant promotion he throws his dummy out of the pram and walks out. Unfortunately, he omits to tell his wife, Sasha, about his new jobless status. When she does find out, she throws him out, and Adam runs back home to daddy in Oxford for love and support.
The resultant strain, of trying to cope with a teenage daughter and eight year old twins, as well as write a weekly newspaper column and make fortnightly tv appearances - and desperately trying to find time for herself (oh, the poor dear!), propels Sasha into her own mid-life crisis. She embarks on an ill-considered affair, and discovers the illicit thrills of shoplifting. Meanwhile, their teenage daughter, Liffy, is feeling increasingly lost and lonely; she is crying out for help but her parents are too absorbed in their own crises to notice. This book has much to recommend it. The characterisations are good - you really feel you get to know the characters and can empathise with them even when they are at their most obnoxious. Liffy's teenage angst, and particularly the scenes where she interacts with school friends, is sympathetically handled and very readable. Moreover the writing style is engaging and easy to read, and the balance between the different plot elements is well done. However, I feel the plot line was very thin and that the subject matter (which had quite a lot of promise) was handled in a way that managed to be both trite and stereotyped. I felt the ending was particularly weak - the ends were tied up far too neatly for credibility, and the last couple of pages deteriorated into a kind of "New Age" drivel. Overall, an undemanding and enjoyable read, but not a great one. NB: I might also add that I read this book with my book group, and of the five of us I was one of the most positive; one other person rated it 3*, one at 2* and two people only gave it 1*.
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