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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
Death of a baby and a woman; remains discovered; moderate depictions
Language
Barely any
Mild language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Sexual relationships in commune setting; no explicit content
Substance Use
Some
Alcohol and drug use in 1970s commune context; moderate
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Strong psychological intensity; guilt and suppression over a decade; retrospective horror; moral complicity
What this book is about
Written as Barbara Vine, this novel follows three men who once shared a rambling English country house in a long summer of freedom — and the secret that summer left buried. A decade later, excavation uncovers the skeletons of a baby and a woman. The novel works backwards through time to reveal what happened, and why each of the three has spent years trying to forget. One of the most praised Barbara Vine novels.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Death of a baby
Communal lifestyle with consequences
Long-suppressed guilt
Reader Verification
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