In this rich literary novel, A.S. Byatt takes us deep into the life of one English family in the 1950s. Ranging from the sunlit fields of Provence to the whirl of Cambridge, portrays in vivid and sensual detail the journeys of the Potter family as they each try to find their proper place in a complex universe of life and ideas. Stephanie Potter gives up a promising academic career to marry her curate husband while her sister, Frederica, enters Cambridge and her brother, Marcus, recovers from a nervous breakdown. draws the reader irresistibly into a vibrant and densely structured world. We watch as the characters confront the conflict between responsibilities to others and the fulfillment of their own private dreams. And we experience, as though we are there, the stunning event that changes their lives forever. This is a book of distinction and a book to delight in—a thrilling journey in the company of one of the eminent writers of our time.