Bought as part of the Times book offer.

From the back cover:

"Larry Cook's farm is the largest in his county in Iowa, and a tribute to his hard work and single-mindedness. Proud and possessive, his sudden decision to retire and hand over the farm to his three daughters is disarmingly uncharacteristic. Ginny and Rose, the two eldest, are startled yet eager to accept, but Caroline, the younger daughter, has misgivings. Immediately, her father cuts her out. It is a decision that causes chaos."

Kindly donated by perfect-circle for a special project.

I studied King Lear for A-level English Lit so it wasn't hard to pick up the thread of this story and predict where it was heading. Smiley's take on Shakespeare's Lear, transplanting a King and his daughters for a farmer in mid-America at the end of the 70s works very well.

Told through the eyes of eldest daughter Ginny, it tells of the break up of Larry Cook's farm between his two eldest daughters, the youngest being cut out for showing no enthusiasm for the idea. Through the family feuding, passive Ginny remembers her past, with the help of pro-active sister Rose, and remembers not a farming idyll but an abusive drunken father. The breaking up of the farm destroys the Cook family but finally allows Ginny to be free.

RELEASE NOTES:

to be left outside

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