The latest novel from the genuinely bestselling
author of seventeen compelling novels, from A Woman of
Substance to The Triumph of Katie Byrne. As students
at the prestigious Anya Sedgwick School of Decorative
Arts in Paris, Alexandra Gordon, Kay Lenox, Jessica
Pierce and Maria Franconi share the challenges and
excitement of developing their artistic talents to the
fullest under Sedgwick's caring and demanding guidance.
But once best friends, they part enemies, and after
graduation they go their separate ways, pursuing careers
and establishing lives in different corners of the
world. Alexandra, a set designer, becomes a leading
figure in New York's theatre world. Kay, who marries and
moves to Scotland, designs a successful line of
clothing. Jessica, an interior designer, makes her home
in California, while Maria returns to her native Italy,
where she continues to work in her family's textile
business. For each of them, the arrival of an
invitation to Paris to celebrate Anya Sedgwick's
eighty-fifth birthday stirs up complicated feelings:
nostalgic memories are coloured by poignant regrets and
the reluctance to revisit their own pasts mixes with
curiosity about the other women. It is ultimately their
desire to deal with unfinished business that convinces
all of them to attend the party. During three eventful
weeks in Paris, they visit their old haunts, rekindle
ties, and awaken in each other the sense of wonder,
adventure, and possibilities they had shared so long
ago.
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