Atria Books, February 16, 2016.
Three Stars
Robin is a cautious, thoughtful accountant in her late
thirties, living a quiet life. When she meets an older man – the wild, carefree
artist Paul – all of her careful life plans fall apart. She falls in love, gets
married, and learns to take risks – such as a spontaneous trip to Morocco for
the summer, planned by her new husband. The trip seems incredibly romantic at
first, but nothing Paul tells Robin is actually as it seems.
Paul and Robin both have complicated romantic
histories. Robin was married once before, and the relationship failed for
various reasons, but especially because of Robin’s desire for children. Paul, twenty
years her senior, has his own mysterious past, including time spent in Morocco,
studying art. Robin thinks she knows everything about her husband, who seems at
first to be an open book, but when they arrive at the North African coast,
their relationship changes.
At first, Robin is reluctant to abandon her
structured lifestyle, but she quickly adapts to the freedoms of an exotic new
locale. The details of the Moroccan setting are richly described, with the
juxtaposition between medieval and modern worlds creating a lush sense of
intrigue. The new couple relax into the idyllic setting, with plans to try for
a child. However, although everything seems amicable and loving between the
two, small red flags start to pop up. Robin continues to see the best in Paul
until she receives irrefutable evidence of his betrayal – proof that he has had
a vasectomy, in spite of their shared plans to have a baby.
After a vicious argument, Paul disappears, and Robin becomes
the prime suspect. To clear her name, Robin takes matters into her own hands,
embarking on a risky investigation into Paul’s current situation, as well as
his shady past. The novel moves suddenly from an oddly sweet love story to a
thrilling adventure across the landscape of Morocco – from the corruption of
the city to the barren desert.
It’s clear that Kennedy has spent time in Morocco,
and has an affinity for its people and places. The country is not just
incidental to the setting, but it becomes a part of the story, as Robin searches
endlessly, following the twists and turns of Paul’s journey. The Moroccan
people are fully realized as well, showcasing many different facets of society.
The setting is vivid and filled with the passion of its long history, from
Casablanca to the desert Bedouins.
Robin is a strong female character who never gives up
– but her perseverance is almost too much. She doesn’t let go of finding Paul,
despite the shocking things she learns about his past, and her seeming lack of
self-respect started to lose my sympathy after a while. She is also involved in
one particularly brutal act of sexual violence, which I didn’t think was
necessary to further the story. In spite of all the thrilling twists, I never
guessed what would happen next, making this a complex mystery. After one too
many melodramatic incidents, I began to lose interest in Robin’s pursuit – but I
still finished the novel, finding it exciting and enjoyable.
I received this novel from Atria Books and Netgalley in
exchange for an honest review.
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