Who was Kath Peters, really? That's the question everyone is asking in Penelope Lively's The Photograph. Answers will vary, based on who's asking, but one fact will emerge - Kath hid plenty behind her pretty face.

Soon after her death, Kath's husband Glyn finds an envelope marked, "Don't Open. Destroy." Inside lies a snapshot. Glyn doesn't recognize the setting, but he spies his wife holding hands with another man, a man who is, in fact, her brother-in-law. The image "smolders in its envelope, and in his head" (16), forcing him to face the fact that he didn't know his own wife. This "unreliability about my own past" (98) shakes him to his core. He deals with the problem in the way he knows best. As a historian, Glyn has done plenty of research, so he turns his investigative skills to the subject of his marriage. His search consumes him, but this is "par for the course; Glyn does obsession, always has, a five-star capacity for obsession is what makes him a painstaking researcher" (115).

As part of his quest, Glyn confronts those who knew Kath best - her sister, Elaine; Elaine's husband, Nick; Nick's business partner, Oliver; and Kath's closest friend, Mary Packard. Each of their voices, as well as that of Polly, Nick and Elaine's daughter, offer one piece of the puzzle that was Kath. Ultra-responsible Elaine remembers only her frustration with her irresponsible younger sister. Nick, who has "remained in a time warp of feckless adolescence" (182) can't understand why Elaine cares about his long-ago fling with her sister. Oliver wants only to put the past behind him. He regrets both taking and saving the damning photo. Ironically, Mary Packard, the one who spent the least time with Kath, is the only one with any real answers. While the others saw only Kath's pretty face, the fine features which allowed her to float through life shunning all responsibility, Mary heard the woman's secrets and desires. Mary's morale is a familiar one: Things are not always what they seem.

This novel is so difficult to describe because it isn't a story as much as it is a series of character studies. Basically, Lively takes a situation - Kath's infidelity - and examines how each person reacts to it. She mines their psyches to make statements about grief, identity, marriage and love. The result is a melancholy novel populated with sad, bitter people who can't get over the death of the only person (apparently) who brought any light to their lives. The story is depressing, really, although I also found it surprisingly compelling.

Although The Photograph feels dark and brooding, I found the writing quite beautiful. It's haunting, to be sure, but also rich and evocative. While scrutinizing his marriage, Glyn observes that "It is the subtexts that signify, the alternative stories that lurk beyond the narrative" (22). The same could be said of this novel - its truths are in the details. I thought a lot about this book, but I can't say I really enjoyed it.

Grade: B-

Alternate realities and gun-toting secret agents usually aren't my thing, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading Deadly Enterprise by Canadian author Christopher Hoare. I
mentioned that I started reading it in the E.R., and I have to say, it provided the perfect escape from my painful reality.

The story revolves around Gisel Matah, a lieutenant from Iskander, a progressive society on a futuristic Earth. Because of a blip in their space/time travel plans, Gisel's people find themselves trapped in the 17th Century on an alternate Earth called Gaia. Since it's impossible for the Iskanders to return to their own land, they aim to improve Gaia with their advanced knowledge and inventions. Not everyone is happy about the plan, especially the ruling Trigons, another people stranded in a foreign land. To help persuade the higher-ups to oust the Trigons, the Iskanders form a partnership with banker Yohan Felger. The young man has contacts in the enemy city of Lubitz, so he and Gisel set out together to appeal to the city's leaders. Gisel's reputation (her reckless bravery has earned her the nickname "Wildcat") makes her a target for all kinds of enemies, so she passes herself off as Yohan's male bodyguard.

Journeying side by side means that Gisel and Yohan must learn to work together. They are an unlikely pair - Gisel is a hardened military woman, reared in an age when women have as many rights as men, while Yohan is a gentleman from a time when women submitted to men or faced the consequences. While Yohan finds Gisel's aggressive nature appalling, he also comes to respect her cunning and skill. Gisel teases the refined Yohan about his lack of street smarts, but acknowledges he is the kindest, gentlest man she's ever known. Predictably, the two discover they are attracted to each other, although they have little time to think about romance. There's also the little problem of Yohan's betrothal and Gisel's ex-boyfriend, who longs for a reconciliation.

When the pair finally reach Lubitz, they find a town in confusion. Gisel knows the tide of opinion can be turned in favor of Iskander aid if only she can speak to the right people. But, Lubitz is under siege by the formidabble Trigons, and no one knows who to trust. Her new mission is fraught with danger. Can Gisel convince the right people before it's too late? Will her disguise keep her safe from her enemies? Most importantly (to me, anyway), will Gisel and Yohan find happiness together? Or will their differences keep them apart?

So, if you're planning a trip to the E.R. anytime soon, you might as well take along a book that will keep your mind off your own reality. I recommend Christopher Hoare's Deadly Enterprise.

Grade: B