Mapping the Edge, by Sarah Dunant (1999)
This was a very strange novel. It follows Anna Franklin, a single mother, who left her 6-year-old daughter, Lily in the care of her housekeeper to take a brief trip to Italy. Anna was writing an article about dating through the want ads. (Remember, this book was written over 20 years ago.) When Anna failed to return home, her two closest friends gather ponder what could have detained Anna.
The novel alternates between two different scenarios. Was Anna kidnapped by a man who wants her to be his dead wife, or has she found a companion who fulfills her sexual fantasies?
Sarah Dunant has also written several historical fiction novels, including The Birth of Venus. I liked those novels much better.
Read: August 25, 2020
3 Stars
