“Was it possible in any relationship to not disappoint, to do anything more than only briefly rekindle the initial fatal illusion?”
Summary - Fifteen years ago Vida Avery arrived alone and pregnant at elite Fayer Academy. She has since become a fixture and one of the best teachers Fayer has ever had. By living on campus, on an island off the New England coast, Vida has cocooned herself and her son, Peter, from the outside world and from an inside secret. For years she has lived largely through the books she teaches, but when she accepts the impulsive marriage proposal of ardent widower Tom Belou, the prescribed life Vida has constructed is swiftly dismantled.
I usually love books that follow the life of an English teacher (probably because I used to be one ). While I enjoyed many moments of this one, overall it lacked focus and pacing. But when I read a book by King, I’m always always always blown away by her astute writing, her amazing character development, her complex psychological storylines and emotional depth.
A group of us: Sandra @sec , Juani @jk , and Tanya @tanta started reading King’s books years ago and we’ve now read them all. We are looking forward to reading her new one soon, I believe we all have either the eARC or an ARC!
Here’s my Lily King order:
- Writers & Lovers
- Father of the Rain
- Five Tuesdays
- Euphoria
- The English Teacher
- The Pleasing Hour
Do you have a favorite of her books? If you haven’t read any of her books you definitely should, especially if you enjoy Ann Patchett or Sally Rooney (although she’s better than both, IMO).
Find The English Teacher at the publisher →
Toni Rocchetti is a copy editor helping authors strengthen their narratives, deepen character arcs, and find the story that is already in the draft. She reads 80+ books a year across literary fiction, memoir, and nonfiction — and writes about what she is learning along the way. Work with Toni →
