A romp in the back seat of a car in 1974 has serious repercussions for a British politician 40 years later.
Forty years ago four people conspired to conceal a teenage pregnancy. Now one of them is dead and a book about her threatens to expose a Member of Parliament's guilty secret. For how long will Roger be able to prevent Sally getting at the truth of her parentage? Can he prevent the break-up of his own long term gay relationship?
We've come a long way from the prudery still prevalent in post WWII Britain to the acceptance of gay marriage. Did the new found sexual freedoms of the 1970s send the wrong signals to men who regard young women as 'fair game' for predatory behaviour and make recently exposed scandals involving celebrities inevitable?
Excerpt
Roger felt too old for this talk of conspiracies and subterfuge. It had all seemed so simple forty years ago: help a friend and a young woman hide the consequences of a single foolish action that both regretted. How had it turned into a witch hunt?
Professional Reviews
The Seeds We Sow
Another fine novel from Frank Parker. What are the consequences of a seemingly meaningless sexual romp between a man in his late twenties and a girl in her teens when the encounter leads to the birth of an unacknowledged child? What is the fallout 40 years later, after the girl has become a well-known actress and the man has become a respected Member of Parliament?
In-depth read that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go
A young lady's indiscretion at the beginning of her woman hood launches her on a journey of self- discovery, self-doubt and a struggle with co-dependence as she rises like a star; hometown girl turned celebrity on the small screen.
The man involved in this indiscretion had also done something to her to make her uncomfortable in certain ways around men for many years after, while also leaving her pregnant after the single encounter.
The circumstances and resulting child were hidden immediately with the help of a mutual friend, in order to protect both her potential acting career and his political career and family.
Forty years later those secrets are threatened to be spilled despite the carefully laid plans and also in spite of the biography that was written to keep Madge's life and character cast in a positive light, even after her death.
The story is split between three POV's. Each POV character is well rounded and their personality shines through in their actions and reactions throughout the story. They are built through interaction with the world and people around them, and not through basic descriptions. The story is ultimately about Madge, but you tend to really care for some of the other characters even more as their life story is told. Their involvement in Madge's life is only a part of their story, and the other parts are just as interesting to read about.
The author really shines in his portrayal of human inner thought and reflection. I could really feel how that particular character felt, and see the world through their eyes. His easy way of capturing dialogue kept the story flowing well, and the scenes interesting. The descriptive parts were in depth but kept to the point so as not to go overboard or bore the reader.
This book is out of my "normal" type of read, but I really enjoyed it for all the reasons listed above. The only thing I am left wondering, is what really happened that night that caused Madge to become the person she was?
All in all this is a very in-depth read that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until you’ve read the last page.
Part Three in the Mu Series - Sarah Thompson reluctantly abandons her desperate search for her soul mate on Maui and returns to her Montana hometown. Her brother has had a terrible accident...
