Snowstorms In A Hot Climate (2005) - Plot & Excerpts
I had previously read Sarah Dunant's Sacred Hearts and whilst I appreciated her elegant and descriptive writing style I found the book itself a bit of a chore to read (although I ultimately liked it). But I found none of that with this one.I just love the way Dunant writes. It really draws me in. I feel like every word I read is carefully thought out and there are no repetitions (unless there needs to be). It affords the book a real sense of freshness. As for the story, jumping straight in with a sense of urgency there's no wishy washy beginning. I was hooked into the almost romantic friendship the two women (Marla and Elly) share from the moment they sat on the balcony sipping bourbon as Elly related her story to Marla. As the story progressed, I became more and more questioning of Marla's motives and to be honest I'm left with questions! Not because the story was left open but because I want to understand the extent of Marla's grief. What were her real feelings about Elly? I guess thats just one thing we can't ever know. Marla's secret was referred to throughout the book but what was Marla's secret? We're lead to believe perhaps Marla could gay but during her confrontation with Lenny she puts it right out there with her statement, "You'd just love to label me as the obsessive lesbian wouldn't you? But you'd be wrong. Its more complicated than that". Taut, intense and psychological, it all kind of crept up on me. The final page left me with a wry smile as I quietly said aloud, "Clever book".
What do You think about Snowstorms In A Hot Climate (2005)?
