Illusion - Softcover

A breathless British take on a relationship that unravels as a young woman learns long-hidden family secretssecrets that will change her attitude to her lover and her future. The story begins in March 1997. Television floor manager Rachel lives in London with Leigh, a broadcast journalist covering the upcoming British elections. Ambitious and work-obsessed, Leigh doesnt want to fully commit himself to her until he's made a mark for himself. Rachel loves him deeply but is prepared to accept the current status quo because he's so wonderful. Then she goes home to Yorkshire for sister Liz's wedding and finds her usually close-knit family in an uproar. Older sister Vanessa hints at events of nearly 30 years ago that have forever plagued her; and their father, a retired military officer, has been unfaithful yet again to their much-loved mother, Dodo. Another complication arises when Rachel realizes she may be pregnant, a suspicion soon confirmed by old flame Tom, now the local doctor. As she hesitates to tell Leigh, Rachel learns that her birth mother was a female soldier seduced by her father; Dodo adopted the baby as her own to prevent his dismissal from the army. When Leigh, completely caught up in covering the election, makes it clear that he wants her to have an abortion, Rachel, uncertain what to do, decides to find her natural mother firsta decision that involves much travel and lots of comforting counsel from Doctor Tom before she learns the complete truth. This sets her free to see Leigh for what he is and to recognize her family as flawed but nonetheless warm and supportive. The political backdrop gives intimations of heft to what is essentially the familiar story of a woman learning she's been in love with the wrong man. Readable fluff. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

British writer Robertson's latest novel (her first to be published in the U.S.) takes a complex look at families, parents and priorities against an upper-middle-class U.K. backdrop. When Rachel Trewhitt arrives at her parents' home in Yorkshire for her sister's wedding, she learns that her father, a retired military man, has once again been unfaithful to her mother. This revelation triggers a series of recriminations and explanations, through which Rachel discovers that while she is Philip Trewhitt's daughter, her mother is not the woman she has always called Mummy, but an army corporal named Freda, who gave birth to Rachel in 1969. To complicate matters further, Rachel herself is pregnant. Her partner, Leigh Barnes, is an ambitious TV reporter who claims to want children someday, but emphatically does not want a baby now. If Rachel doesn't have an abortion, Leigh will probably leave her; if she does, she'll get to keep Leigh (who is so unpleasant he hardly seems to warrant much consideration) and a promising career in TV production. Unable to talk to Leigh or her family about her pregnancy, Rachel turns to an old flame, Dr. Tom Lattemore, for advice. But she realizes that before she can make the decision about her baby, she must find Freda and learn more about her own past. As she searches for her missing mother, more revelations are in store. Robertson offers no platitudes or moralizing as Rachel faces the all-too-common choice between a lover, a child and a career. The suspenseful dilemma is a familiar one, but Robertson's even-handed approach makes the story satisfying and thought provoking. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.