Eden Collinsworth clearly has a powerful literary background, for the two central characters of this highly readable novel could be spin-offs of Fitzgerald's Gatsby, Edith Wharton's characters in Ethan Frome, and any of the real people in the biography of Maxwell Anderson, a pivotal publishing giant. Spin-off is okay and works well herein, but why is Isabella so irksome?

The plot is plain to see as the reader wanders through the story wondering how the irresponsible dandy, James, will continue his wannabe aristocratic lifestyle in a meaningful marriage to Isabel. Love is supposedly blind but Isabel takes the cake for acceptance; many another woman would have "flown the coop" or attempted to murder James chapters before Isabel actually does both.

Still this is a fascinating book in showing the demise of two literate writer/editor personalities, naturally reaching for the stars and descending into their darkest psychological substance. Who recovers? You will be surprised for sure by the ending of this capricious couple who manage to nurture a very sane son in the midst of veritable chaos on several sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Fabulous, compelling read in one way but oddly devastating in outcome!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on November 24, 2006

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