Central to this compelling and thought-provoking story are the real-life characters of artists Edward Hopper and his wife Josephine Nivison (although in the story they are referred to by Michael as Mr & Mrs Aitch) and their fictional interactions with a group of neighbours on Cape Cod in 1950. Michael was born in Germany but, orphaned by the end of the War, was brought to America under a President Truman initiative to rescue German orphans and place them with adoptive parents in America. Michael has few memories of his early years, just a very hazy recollection of when he was three and of being hungry, alone and hiding in-between sandbags. Although his adoptive parents, Harry and “Frau Aunt”, are kind to him he has struggled with having to adapt to his new life, to learn English and to “forget” all his German words. In fact, because he worked so hard to do so, he is now able to recall only a couple, but he slightly resents this and is still finding it difficult to feel secure. His anxiety about acceptance and belonging is exacerbated when his adoptive parents, who are now expecting a child and are in the process of moving to a new home, send him to stay with Mrs Kaplan, Richie’s grandmother, and her family for an extended summer holiday. He can’t help but wonder whether they will want him back.
Richie is struggling with his own emotional problems; he is still mourning the loss of his father, who was killed in the war, and is resentful not only of Michael’s presence, but of the fact that his mother has now started a new relationship. The two boys find it difficult to form any sort of bond with each other, but each finds their own comfort in the friendships which develop between them and the Hoppers.
Essentially the story is told through the eyes of ten-year-old Michael and the Hoppers, although the lesser input from Michael’s adoptive mother adds an important dimension. Although it took me a little time to adjust to the very leisurely writing style (in some ways the action seemed to be taking place in “real time”) I soon found myself immersed in both the internal and the external worlds of each of the characters and their interactions. The selfish, self-centred and often extreme behaviour of the adults made it difficult for me to warm to any of them; there were times when it felt difficult to believe that any of them had any awareness of, or empathy with, the complex range of emotions these two young boys were struggling with. However, as their backstories came to light, it did become slightly easier to feel some compassion for them, a reflection of the skill with which the author gradually revealed what was driving their frequently dysfunctional behaviour.
Her psychological insights into the emotional impact of loss and regret, as well as into the effects on people adjusting to a post-Second World War America, a country which, with its involvement in the Korean War, was still in a state of conflict and unrest, were what made this story so compelling for me. It was never a comfortable read because the rawness of the pain of loss, of the insidious damage inflicted by dysfunctional relationships, of unfulfilled dreams, of despair, permeated so many aspects of each of the characters’ lives. However, my despair never became total because there were enough examples of kindness and unselfish acts to enable me to feel that there was some hope for the future. However, I frequently took comfort and pleasure from the author’s wonderfully evocative descriptions of Cape Cod – they brought back lots of happy memories of holidaying there in the 1980s!
As I have known, and enjoyed, Edward Hopper’s paintings for many years, an initial attraction to the book for me was the reproduction on the dust-cover of his 1952 painting, “Sea Watchers”. However, little did I know that he and his wife, would play a central part in this fictional story! Since finishing the novel, I have enjoyed doing some research into their lives and have found that this has added a fascinating dimension to my experience of reading this thought-provoking story.
Richie is struggling with his own emotional problems; he is still mourning the loss of his father, who was killed in the war, and is resentful not only of Michael’s presence, but of the fact that his mother has now started a new relationship. The two boys find it difficult to form any sort of bond with each other, but each finds their own comfort in the friendships which develop between them and the Hoppers.
Essentially the story is told through the eyes of ten-year-old Michael and the Hoppers, although the lesser input from Michael’s adoptive mother adds an important dimension. Although it took me a little time to adjust to the very leisurely writing style (in some ways the action seemed to be taking place in “real time”) I soon found myself immersed in both the internal and the external worlds of each of the characters and their interactions. The selfish, self-centred and often extreme behaviour of the adults made it difficult for me to warm to any of them; there were times when it felt difficult to believe that any of them had any awareness of, or empathy with, the complex range of emotions these two young boys were struggling with. However, as their backstories came to light, it did become slightly easier to feel some compassion for them, a reflection of the skill with which the author gradually revealed what was driving their frequently dysfunctional behaviour.
Her psychological insights into the emotional impact of loss and regret, as well as into the effects on people adjusting to a post-Second World War America, a country which, with its involvement in the Korean War, was still in a state of conflict and unrest, were what made this story so compelling for me. It was never a comfortable read because the rawness of the pain of loss, of the insidious damage inflicted by dysfunctional relationships, of unfulfilled dreams, of despair, permeated so many aspects of each of the characters’ lives. However, my despair never became total because there were enough examples of kindness and unselfish acts to enable me to feel that there was some hope for the future. However, I frequently took comfort and pleasure from the author’s wonderfully evocative descriptions of Cape Cod – they brought back lots of happy memories of holidaying there in the 1980s!
As I have known, and enjoyed, Edward Hopper’s paintings for many years, an initial attraction to the book for me was the reproduction on the dust-cover of his 1952 painting, “Sea Watchers”. However, little did I know that he and his wife, would play a central part in this fictional story! Since finishing the novel, I have enjoyed doing some research into their lives and have found that this has added a fascinating dimension to my experience of reading this thought-provoking story.