Other Women

Grover Blackford's gruesome fatal fall while on a expedition in Sri Lanka seems to have little effect on his family. His wife plans to travel and make use of her new-found freedom and fortune, while his daughter can only say ``He was a good father, really.... I mean he always bought anything I needed when you told him to.'' The only person who seems at all upset is a fellow traveler, Rebecca. It eventually becomes clear that Grover was a different person to each of these people. While Grover might have been an adulterous, ruthless businessman, his death allows both his wife, Corinne, and his mistress, Rebecca, to discover their inner strength and learn again what love really is. This beautifully written novel is a coming-of-age story of middle-aged women forced by Grover's death to accept the responsibility of living and loving. Bacon has genuinely captured the poignancy of her characters--from Corrine's analytical acceptance of her husband's infidelities to Rebecca's transformation from the perfect headmaster's wife to Grover's lover. Although an emotional journey, Bacon's story is so full of surprises that it reads like a thriller. (Apr.)