The Strength of the Sun: A Novel - Hardcover

Chidgey, Catherine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805069313 ISBN 13: 9780805069310

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2002

Synopsis

A mysterious letter-writing campaign bears unexpected consequences in this gifted young writer's intimate exploration of loss and discovery

Every contact leaves a trace. But when Colette receives a letter from The Friends of Patrick Mercer about a man lying unconscious in a hospital on the other side of the world, she has no idea who the man might be. Why is she being written to?

Hospitalized in England after a car accident, medievalist Patrick Mercer reconstructs his life through memory, dreams, and the inspiration of his treasured illuminated manuscripts. Half a world away, Colette is adjusting to new classes, a new apartment, a new job-and the mysterious "Patrick" letters that keep arriving. Meanwhile, Ruth and Malcolm-whose young son is Colette's charge-are desperately seeking to pick up the pieces of their lives after the terrifying disappearance of their teenage daughter.

The Strength of the Sun is a novel about the human desire to make connections, to pick through our lives in search of what can be found among the daily losses. Compassionate, beautifully written, and compelling to the final page, The Strength of the Sun introduces a talented new writer to American readers.

About this title

About the Author

Catherine Chidgey's first novel, In a Fishbone Church, was nominated for the Orange Prize. She lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

Reviews

In this spellbinding take on "six degrees of separation" (originally published as Golden Deeds in the writer's native New Zealand), Chidgey conducts a symphony of crossed destinies with sophistication and compassion. Intertwining several themes the distance between strangers, the intimacy of lovers, the endurance of memory she follows the fates of seemingly unconnected characters. Colette, a New Zealand college student leaving her broken home for the first time, begins receiving mysterious letters from the Friends of Patrick Mercer in England. They inform her of Patrick's slow progress after a near-fatal car crash. She has no idea who Patrick is, but she's curious and awaits each letter with eager anticipation. Meanwhile, Patrick, in his coma, recalls his childhood dreams and disappointments and his budding interest in medieval manuscripts, which eventually become his life's work. Back in New Zealand, Colette now baby-sits for the young son of Malcolm and Ruth Pearse, who are trying to continue their shattered lives several years after the unsolved disappearance of their teenage daughter, Laura. Chidgey strings together her diverse characters and crisscrossing plot lines with deft economy, building a mesmerizing narrative that's capped by an ingenious twist. Chidgey's first novel, In a Fishbone Church, was nominated for the Orange Prize; this intensely imagined narrative should also win critical raves. (Mar. 1)Forecast: A blurb from Nick Hornby will catch the attention of readers on the lookout for fresh talent.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

In New Zealand writer Chidgey's second novel, a finally crafted tale, she explores the connected lives of three families. Ruth and Malcolm struggle with the disappearance of their teenage daughter, Laura. Colette, a college student, removes herself from her mother's world and ends up baby-sitting for Ruth and Malcolm's young son. Patrick, a medieval scholar, lies in a hospital in England. Chidgey shifts back and forth between these loosely, even strangely, connected characters; tosses in the odd comment from Laura's killer; focuses her tale on her characters' complex interior lives; and uses powerful symbols to embody the novel's themes and underlying meaning. Keys, gardens, books, lanterns, even spaces, even the way the ink from the newspaper in which Malcolm reads stories about his daughter leaves imprints on the sheets that cover him and his wife--all become emblems in Chidgey's mysterious world and provide subtle illuminations. Chidgey's inconclusive novel will not appeal to all, but those looking for a study more than a story will be richly rewarded. Neal Wyatt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

This second novel (after Orange nominee In a Fishbone Church) from a well-regarded New Zealand novelist begins with a description of the widely publicized 1988 solar eclipse, visible from Australia and New Zealand, which brings about changes in the lives of two people in different parts of the world. One is 15-year-old New Zealander Laura, who disappears without a trace, and the other is middle-aged British medievalist Patrick Mercer, who decides to end his 15-year marriage. These two events strongly influence the novel's other central characters, including Laura's parents, who never fully recover from their daughter's disappearance, and 21-year-old Colette, who, 12 years later, is a student living on her own for the first time in a new city. This intriguing novel moves back and forth in time, and its ominous undertone shows how loss tends to frame a person's life. While some of the characters' backgrounds seem stereotypical, there are enough secrets and revelations to hold one's interest until the final pages. Strongly recommended to public libraries for both fiction and mystery fans. Maureen Neville, Trenton P.L., NJ

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805069313
• ISBN 13: 9780805069310
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272