Heat Wave

Popular English literary novelist and recipient of the prestigious Booker Prize, Penelope Lively deftly captures the multi-layered drama and reminiscences that lie behind everyday events. Heat Wave is her ironic tale of obsession, love, and disillusionment. Freelance editor Pauline has planned an idyllic working holiday in her summer cottage, enjoying life in the country and her young grandson. Her daughter and son-in-law will spend their holidays in the other half of the cottage. But when Pauline notices unsettling incidents in her daughter's marriage, her cozy world is rocked. With renewed pain and despair, she relives past indiscretions in her own life as she imagines her daughter's suffering. Over her memories hangs an ominous question: Does she really understand what she sees? Penelope Lively perfectly blends irony and melancholy in her memorable tales, yet sprinkles them with bits of unexpected light and humor. With skill and timing, Davina Porter's clear narration captivates listeners from the satisfying first scene to the startling ending.