Harrower was known for writing about class and gender in 1960s Australia. She withdrew this novel, completed in 1971, from publication for reasons she can no longer remember. But, it is understandable because the novel does not work as an integrated story. It seems to be more a vehicle for ideas. Like other of her novels, there is a lot of misogyny. It tells the story of an upper middle-class brother and sister and a lower class brother and sister and the relationships amongst them. At the end, the sister who married a difficult working class man finds at age 40 that she has thrown her life away.

This is the second book by Elizabeth Harrower I've read and I love this one too. As I am more toward the end of my life than the beginning, this novel about a group of people, a few marriages in Sydney, Australia was wonderful. I guess we all look back and see patterns we could not see in youth. The writing is clear, fast paced, delicious and deeply moving.

A great story of the subtle class divisions in Australia - but for all that I couldn't get into it. However this is more because I didn't like or 'get' her style of writing. I think perseverance would be worth it- but I had a better book to read.