The visionaries of our time, Apple and Microsoft, have opened up our world, and our lives are now given over to internet screens. I am grateful for the timing that has allowed me to be part of this world festival of fact and fiction.
Yes, I am happy to read newspapers online, to listen to music via a screen, to search for information at the click of a button, to communicate, to check the time or the weather, to read and write in virtual print, to store my life in the cloud.
We live in the brightness of screens; when they sleep, we too shut down.

It was ironic then that my timing was so off yesterday and I was very far from my screen when a major event of our times happened, an event which was communicated to the world, not by text message, email or phone call but by a smoke signal from the chimney of the Sistine chapel.

But I too was in a chapel of sorts when the white smoke curled into the Roman clouds. I was in a temple dedicated to the god of ink print, Times New Roman herself, still worshipped daily in our humble bookstore. I was gathered with a group of the faithful to listen to the words of Anne Korkeakivi who was visiting our temple to speak of her recent book, a book where the universal sits beside the personal, where major events in world politics vie with shopping for dinner. A book where Time and timing are everything.

Present time and past time waltz with each other continually throughout An Unexpected Guest: A Novel. The main character, Claire Moorhouse is a modern day Clarissa Dalloway, setting out in the morning to buy the flowers she will need for her dinner party that same evening. She lives on rue de Varenne, a street in Paris containing buildings which date back to the late sixteen hundreds some of which were destroyed in the mid-nineteenth century when the visionaries of the day opened up the city and sliced through rue de Varenne in the name of progress. It was while walking down this very street in 2006 that the author first got the idea for this novel, inspired by the tension she felt in Paris at that time, the problems thrown up on those historic pavements by twentieth first century wars and the threat of bombs which slice through urban centres in the name of patriotism.

And so present time and past time compete for our attention right through the narrative. Present time is measured out, not by church bells as in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway, but on the screen of a mobile phone. Past time defeats any measuring, it is present only in wisps and fragments, retrieved haphazardly from the depths of memory. Present time is ordered by means of lists and facts accessed on computer screens while the facts of the past were noted and stored only in memory. The crucial ‘timing’ in the narrative revolves around this duality.

The final irony of yesterday for me was that even though I have many tools and devices available to me to record my thoughts, it was in the solitude of my mind, in the darkness of the night, that this review took shape.

Yes, I am happy to know that I donÂ’t shut down completely when away from my screens. And yes, I am happy that facts can be stored perfectly in my memory, safe until they can be recorded in the light of day.29 s Jennifer138 34

I read the dust jacket to this book and thought it sounded intriguing. So I brought it home. I started reading about Clare, an American wife of a British diplomat. In the beginning, we find out that her husband is to be hosting a dinner party later that day and Clare must organize the staff and shop for the soiree. Aside from random bogus French phrases that sound totally forced and out of place (in spite of the fact the setting is Paris), the story moves quite slowly through Clare's day. And I mean painfully slowly. Somewhere around page 130, we are finally at a 4:00 hairdresser's appointment where it takes three pages to get through a three-line dialogue as we apparently need to be privy to every thought going through Clare's head. Did I mention there are still 130 pages to go? While I appreciate the following of Clare's random and often strange train of thought, I really do not need EVERY random and strange train of thought. I found myself barely skimming most pages and still being annoyed at the detailed descriptions of the minutia of Clare's day. I got tired of reading about her son, James, and what a self-indulgent brat he was; and how she let him get away with it (mollycoddling is what her husband Edward called it). And then the "issue" with the Turk she had randomly met in the market and whom she later learned was wanted for an assassination in Versailles that he couldn't have committed. Clare seems an overly melodramatic simp who cannot function without second-guessing every move she makes and how it MUST all relate back to her first love, Niall. While I put this book down for good nearly 200 pages in (I HATE to be defeated by a book!), I really have more important things to do, get food for the dog and grade papers. But first I have to decide what to have for breakfast: Mueseli or maybe steel cut oatmeal. But what if the dog's really hungry. Maybe I should go get dog food first. I can't decide. It all stems back to my first love, Jim. Yeah, kind of blech, wouldn't you say.17 s Lauren1,447 73

It takes about one hundred pages for this book to get interesting. And then it gets boring again. And then it gets exciting for a few more pages. And then it gets boring again.

As a warning to books IÂ’ll be reading in the coming weeks: If you spare more than a sentence or two on hair appointments, flower arranging, or cheese selection, you might end up getting chucked at the wall.

ThereÂ’s a really good story lurking within these pages. Clare Moorehouse is the wife of a British diplomat, and An Unexpected Guest takes place over a 24-hour period in 2006, leading up to her hosting a dinner party that could determine the future of her husbandÂ’s career. ThereÂ’s also a secret in her past that might derail his plans.

An Unexpected Guest is an intriguing combination of book-club literary and political thriller. I can see why a publisher would be intrigued: Ms. Korkeakivi attempts something new, and there are moments when it makes for a really engaging book. But this book is so overwritten and so precocious, and the plot doesn't hang together. I could see what Ms. Korkeakivi wanted to do, but, for me, it doesnÂ’t click.

The first 100 pages should have been closer to 50, which is not helped by Clare Moorhouse being a bland moron. How I wish Ms. Korekeakivi had thrown some satire in too and named her Clare Moronhouse. Clare is an entitled idiot. I have no idea why sheÂ’s so awesome, but apparently she is. Her husband is more understanding than a saint (psst: heÂ’s a doormat who apparently thinks she walks on water because, you know, sheÂ’s so awesome). I appreciated that, as a diplomat's wife, Clare is supposed to be of a non-offending sort, but there's a difference between dull and bland and necessarily beige. The former makes for an uninspired protagonist, the latter can lead to a character of depth and feeling, of tension between the public and private. Unfortunately, Clare is just bland, and the only reason the book provides for why anyone is interested in her is that she has nice hands. And no, I'm not kidding.

It's depressing to think that, based off of this book, all of my problems in life might not exist if I had better hands.

I found tremendous similarities between An Unexpected Guest and Nancy MitfordÂ’s comedic DonÂ’t Tell Alfred, both in their subject matter and in why both books falter. Honestly, I'm disappointed there wasn't a mention of Ms. Mitford's novel here.

This could have been a really great story. But it’s not. Not recommended.9 s KathyAuthor 1 book9

I d this book for two reasons: the plot itself unfolds in a day's time and weaves together both present day and what happened 25 years ago in the life of the heroine. Clare Moorehouse, an American married to a high ranking, British diplomat, is charged with the unexpected preparations for a dinner party that can (and probably will) have a direct influence on her husband's next posting.

In the course of one day, she has to take care of the endless details for this dinner, and wrestle with events from her past that still threaten all that she has accomplished to get to where she is today. She's an intelligent, reserved woman who, 25 years ago, acted on impulse (rashly) which sets up an interesting comparison to her 15 year old son's behavior - this mirrored story is one of the threads that the author deftly weaves into the overall story. It makes for a fascinating read.

And, from a writer's perspective, if you want to study how one author works within that 24 hour time frame to tell a complex story, An Unexpected Guest, is a good resource for that. 4 s Gale MartinAuthor 3 books197

This was a wonderful read. The backdrop of an ambassador's/expat's life is grand and so appealing. And yet it is a story of small but vital changes that a woman makes, often in midlife, when beset with circumstances outside her control. I literally wept at the end--authentic, touching, beautiful in a small, controlled way. I just loved Clare. Not a perfect person but so winning. I just hate the expectation that fictional women somehow have to be petulant or tiger mothers to be appealing characters. I've had that expectation made of my characters, as a writer. Clare is flawed and worthy of admiration at the same time. A compelling, carefully drawn character and someone you really want to spend time with. Kudos to the author. Looking forward to more of her work.4 s Eva4

Extraordary! I couldn't put it down. Korkeakivi transported me into a world I didn't know, the world of diplomacy and political intrigue. In the midst of this lies a marraige and a compelling and dangerous love story. A beautifully written page turner.4 s Dale HarcombeAuthor 14 books375

I was drawn into the story from the start wondering why Clare wanted to forget Ireland existed. What had happened that she carried so much guilt?
The story takes place in Paris when Clare has one day as a diplomatÂ’s wife to pull together a dinner party crucial to her husband. If he gets the appointment though it will take her back to Ireland and she never wanted to go there again. The reader is treated to all the preparations throughout the day for the dinner party as well as flashbacks to Ireland and her first love and a mistake as a twenty year old. And no, itÂ’s probably not what you are thinking it might be. It is however a mistake that her husband Edward knows nothing about. To complicate the day further she has problems with her youngest son James, who suddenly arrives home from boarding school.
This story is not fast paced but gently weaves the strands of the stories together. It certainly presents pictures of two vastly different lifestyles. A poor lifestyle in Ireland and a privileged lifestyle in Paris. ItÂ’s another book where the past catches up with a person, in this case Clare, but the past is not quite as she imagined it to be. I enjoyed this book.
3 s Nancy952 61

*** ½
I wish I knew French, as a lot of the dialogue is in French, but even without, I moved through this novel quickly and gained a greater understanding of what a diplomatÂ’s life is . Clare Moorhouse is the American wife of a British Minister in Paris. As she plans an important dinner party for her husband, things happen causing her to make some important choices. The book is about youthful bravado and foolishness, family loyalty, life in the Foreign Service and ultimately about maturity and making the right decision.
family fiction france ...more3 s Kristin217 8

An Unexpected Guest is a captivating, character-driven exploration of guilt and redemption, of secrets and confessions, written with a style thatÂ’s as elegant as its posh Parisian setting.

Read the full review at http://www.nightsandweekends.com/arti...miscellaneous-fiction read-and-reviewed3 s Giuls1,605 136

Questo libro non mi ha convinto del tutto, anzi. Praticamente non ha nulla a che fare con quello che mi aspettavo e con la trama, e alla fine mi ha lasciato con lÂ’amaro in bocca. LÂ’ho trovato incompleto e non mi ha soddisfatto.
Il problema sta nel finale. In realtà non proprio nel finale, che è presente e non è uno di quei noiosissimi finali aperti, quanto nella mancanza dei capitoli precedenti all’epilogo. Alla fine la protagonista cambia completamente idea su molte cose, decide di svolgere alcune azioni importantissime, ma il perché all’improvviso decide di fare la cosa giusta non c’è scritto da nessuna parte. Come se quel giorno si fosse svegliata con l’idea di aggiustare tutto. Che poi in realtà non può neanche essere dovuto ad un “risveglio profetico” dato che l’intera storia si svolge in un solo giorno, intervallato da flashback continui.
Alla fine la trama risulta vuota, senza una vera e propria morale a causa del finale affrettato. Delle belle idee, dei bei spunti lanciati qua e là ma che sembrano dei semi lanciati in mezzo al deserto del nulla. E alla fine abbiamo solo la storia di una giornata di questa donna dell’alta borghesia, svolta nel lusso e nell’organizzazione di una cena, intervallato ogni tanto da flashback che cercano di ricostruire una storia.

La protagonista Clare è un personaggio complesso che però proprio non mi è piaciuto, sempre per la storia del finale. Prima del cambio improvviso di personalità, infatti, ha avuto solo atteggiamenti che proprio non mi sono piaciuti. La sua complessità è tutta legata a ciò che si porta dietro, ai suoi segreti che sembrano così insormontabili. Allo stesso tempo però, vedendola ai giorni nostri, ma anche ascoltando i suoi pensieri sul passato, si nota che è un personaggio vuoto, privo di personalità, non in grado di pensare con la propria testa, ma che segue semplicemente l’uomo che ama in quel momento come un bravo cagnolino.

La traduzione, poi, è da mettersi le mani nei capelli, a causa dei continui errori grammaticali.

Nel complesso un libro vuoto e scialbo, esattamente come la protagonista. Sconsigliatissimo!3 s Len634 8

So, it's Paris-based and it was cheap - both great starts.
This was an interesting read, though parts of the novel felt shallow and unexplored, and I personally found the lead character to be unlikable.
Still, not bad...france1 Elise69

This book was bad. Genuinely bad. First of all, the author Anne Korkeakivi's editor (if she had one, which I might doubt) did not catch several typos. I'm not talking about when Mathilde or someone Irish/Scottish/French speaks differently either. Additionally, I don't know who made the decision to write "ice tea" instead of "iced tea" but that really bothered me. The original phrase is "iced tea." I understand that in informal writing, "ice tea" is becoming more popular, but this is a published novel. Korkeakivi's use of "ice tea" bothered the heck out of me. And she used so many cliches, "Not everything is black and white." No kidding!

The monotonous, unvarying syntax also bothered me. Korekeakivi mostly wrote in short, simple sentences. These made the book easy to finish in two days, but it was so boring and hard to read that I almost didn't. She had so many fragments throughout the book. "The plates on the table. The flowers in the vases. The cheese in the store." Tone it down!

Furthermore, the characters were unbelievable, except for Mathilde. That Edward had essentially no reaction to Clare's secret-keeping about Jamie and 2AM absence was ridiculous. He was a two-dimensional paper doll. No one would react so calmly. Clare was also too annoying to support an entire novel. I can't believe she even spent so much time deliberating between going to the police or not. , it's not a hard decision! So when that decision was supposed to be the turning point in her character's development, and then the book ended soon after, the book felt unfinished. What happened to Jamie? The Turk? It left me saying, "Is that it??" I'm glad it was it, of course, because then I didn't have to sit through more of it, but still.

Korkeakivi also spent a lot of time beating us readers over the head with descriptions about Clare. She wears beige. She thinks everything has to be perfect. She needs to appear calm. She has to make everything run smoothly. WE GET IT!!!

I'm sorry this review is so acidic, but I hated wasting my time with this book. Don't read it. There are much better ones out there. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review1 Amy872 26

One day in the life of a diplomat's wife. This is a book about redemption, about one very fancy person carrying around a lot of guilt. The background has some nice details about the foreign service and the Seventh Arondissement in Paris.

Clare (well, Clare's servants) must put together a dinner party that could make or break her husband's next posting (Dublin if it goes well, or Kyrgystan if it doesn't). Her teenage son turns up from boarding school, in trouble somehow, but she can't get in touch with school authorities who would tell her how. Finally, why does she keep thinking she sees an old flame in the crowd, a man who 25 years ago involved her in IRA schemes?

At first this book read a good suspense novel. Lots of built-in time pressures, and the potential for nasty, or at least dramatic things to happen. I was reminded of classic old movies, Greer Garson in Mrs. Miniver, that kind of thing.

But the pace slowed down quite a bit, and the denouement about the old flame ends up being almost laughable. Clare is gullible--the plot could have done more with her tendency to believe what people tell her, fail to follow up, and then try to bluff as if she had. Even to her own husband.

The ending does have a subtle twist that shows Clare's courage and, ironically, probably has a huge impact on her husband's career. I enjoyed the insights into diplomatic careers. Husband Edward is an interesting character, totally unflappable.

Beautiful descriptions of the Rodin Museum. I even smiled at the description of the food market at Le Bon Marche. The story would have worked just as well set in Oslo or Shanghai, but I enjoyed the Paris setting.france-paris1 Cindy553 7

"It took one moment: the wrong place at the wrong time and someone with a wrongheaded notion of justice. How insaneÂ…Fear could be converted into a kind of terrorism of its own." p256-257

This entire novel revolves around this statement. Through the course of one day, one woman relives her past, prepares for a very important dinner, and thinks of her and her family's future. With very detailed paragraphs setting the stage, the images, and the feelings of Clare, the book can get tedious with it's descriptions but it can also pull you in to the time and place. While Clare prepares for a diplomatic dinner, we see her internal guilt over a decision she made years ago and we see her current dilemma-politics or truth. Clare is haunted by fear, not just because of 9/11 and 7/7, but also because she herself felt she was once a part of violent troubles in Ireland. It follows her and forces her to play this "perfect" role. As this sheen crumbles away, all within twenty four hours, she has to accept her past, move on from it, make right a present day issue that could have negative publicity ramifications, and help her son right his own wrongs. To be honest, I was annoyed by Clare, by how she acted, the choices she made, the dilemma she faced, and her guilt from her youth. I think, however, maybe I should have been annoyed because, in the end, it's that that final makes her make a move outside of her comfort zone. I can empathize with her inner demons but, even more so, I applaud her action.

"So little, in the end, was black and white. Perhaps the only thing was humaneness—the innate human response." P270

1 Whatsername272 4

Pensavo fosse amore e invece era un calesse.
Questo è quello che è successo a me! Pensavo di leggere un libro bellissimo ed invece l'ho trovato lento, contorto ed ho fatto fatica a concentrarmi e ad apprezzarlo fino alla fine.
Ho aspettato una svolta, un picco, ma niente...
La storia è narrata dal punto di vista della protagonista Clare ed è ambientato a Parigi; si svolge nell'arco temporale di un giorno, da una mattina all'altra, interrotta spesso da flashback che riguardano il passato della donna.
In questa giornata si svolgono i preparativi di una cena di gala, importante per la carriera di Edward, marito-ambasciatore di Clare.
Accompagniamo per tutto il tempo, Clare a fare spese e a vari appuntamenti per l'organizzazione della cena: fioraio, parrucchiere, ecc.
Durante la narrazione incontriamo spesso dialoghi in francese che ho trovato pesanti, anche perchè la traduzione non è presente.
Tutto gira intorno al segreto che Clare si porta dietro da 25 anni. Quello di aver violato in qualche modo la legge assieme al suo primo amore Niall morto anni prima.
E gira attorno a vari problemi banali della sua vita da borghese ripulita come l'espulsione del figlio da un collegio molto rinomato, o su cosa scrivere sui segnaposto per la cena di gala!
Ho trovato la protagonista vuota, insulsa e scialba, priva di personalità.
Purtroppo ho notato anche numerosi strafalcioni nella traduzione, congiuntivi sbagliati e quant'altro.
Mi dispiace ma non mi è piaciuto molto, ma probabilmente non sarà così per tutti. Ho letto molte recensioni positive.
Spero comunque di leggere qualche altro libro di questa autrice che possa cambiare il mio pensiero e magari anche stupirmi!
1 Allizabeth Collins300 40

Review:

Not every book has to be fast-paced in order to be entertaining, however, a slight increase in tempo would have been a welcome addition to An Unexpected Guest. The novel takes place in a single day - a deceivingly short amount of time - and chronicles Clare's preparations for a Parisian dinner party that could launch her diplomat husband's status. Each page is inundated with Clare's mental to-do lists, her thoughts, hopes, fears, interactions, and suspicions - every minute detail of her daily routine plotted meticulously, the pressure mounting with each passing hour. I love detail, especially flourishes of descriptive prose, and Anna Korkeakivi delivers a picturesque play-by-play of events. Unfortunately, by the novel's midpoint, the depictions have become monotonous, dawdling on a Parisian soap-opera; without adequate action/drama and presenting too many unnecessary details. So much more could have been done with Clare's character, and I plodded on in search of any additional plot-lines that had potential, but the only real surprises were in the last three chapters, (no spoilers). I had never really read much about foreign diplomats before this book, but I how Edward's job is explained and built upon, and I also enjoyed the view of Paris. Overall, a very interesting novel, but I felt that it lacked depth within the story-line and could have used some humor.

Rating: Bounty's Out (3/5)

*** I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.1 Pam39

I received an ARC of this book through Goodreads and was excited at the thought of diving in. Ever since I visited Paris with a school group tour in my teens, I dreamed of living and working there, specifically at the American Embassy.

Life, however, had other plans for me. But thirty years later, I still wondered what a diplomat's life could have been , especially in Paris. Anna Korkeakivi's delightful book helped me fill that void and drew me in, letting me re-experience the sights and sounds of Paris, and provided insight into the pressures of a fictional diplomat's spouse.

For someone me who cut their teeth on the best that literature has to offer, An Unexpected Guest was an unexpected treat. The prose was educated and precise, as tempered as the emotions you'd expect from the very proper American spouse of an English diplomat. The secrets and intrigue in the storyline were an added bonus, and the ending was satisfying.

(As an aside, the freelance proofreader/copyeditor inside me hopes that the typos that I caught in my reading of the ARC will be corrected in the hardcover and Kindle versions.)

I loved the book and am packing it up to send to my Francophile of a daughter. I think she'll love it, too.1 KP56

Hmm. I wanted to love this book. The premise is interesting: American expat Clare, married to second-in-command at the UK embassy, living in Paris, is forced to host a dinner party after the UK ambassador takes ill. The dinner frames a narrative that goes all over the place, from flashbacks to Clare's university days and a 'horrible' thing she did to a rather bizarre subplot featuring a Turkish man accused of a crime he didn't commit. But it rambled a bit too much and I found myself skimming large chunks of text.

I gave it three stars because it's fine; it gives interesting insight into the foreign service (though I'm not sure of the accuracy, having known many foreign service people in my years abroad) and at times gives glorious descriptions of Paris. But it is let down by some dull moments - such as her time at a hair salon, a device used just to frame more flashbacks. The most interesting character for me was the chef, a half-Scottish-half-Swiss dynamo who stole the story. I'd love to know her story. 1 Charlene955 97

I enjoyed this slow paced novel that is "an eventful day in the life of Clare" the American wife of a British diplomat in Paris. I enjoyed the descriptions of Paris, the diplomatic routines, the wife's work as a museum translator, and other details of daily life. There's a couple more stories going on here -- a backstory of Clare's longago summer romance with a young IRA member who coaxed her into helping him with smuggling money into Ireland and the troubles of Jamie, her 15 year old son. The book is compared to Mrs. Dalloway (which I've never read) because of its "one day framework" but it reminded me very much of Ian McEwan's novel of about 10 years ago, Saturday. It's a short novel, too, and I appreciate that -- too many novels nowadays go on for 400 pages or more. 1 Samantha1,916 124

This book certainly got a lot better in the second half. And the actual writing, technically speaking and in terms of word choice and expression, was excellent. But the droning plot-and the horrendous unable nature of the protagonist-made this a two-star read. While the character was interesting at times, her decisions, particularly as a parent, were frustrating, irresponsible and at times downright offensive. This woman could rationalize no other, and her very troubled son is the proof in the pudding. I'm all for flawed heroines, but this woman showed next to nothing redeemable. The author is very adept as a writer, but seems more suited to nonfiction. 1 Kathleen596

Having lived in Paris, I was excited to read this book. I totally enjoyed revisiting the markets and the daily routines of those lucky enough to live in that beautiful city. Korkeavkivi's Parisian descriptions are captivating. She is truly a gifted author. The entire story occurs in a day (and it was an event-packed day for Clare Morehouse), yet it dragged in parts. I am not sure I could compare it to Mrs. Dalloway, as others have. I guess I expected to love it and I just d it, so I was disappointed.1 Lightblue662 31

An Unexpected Guest
Ad esser sincera sarebbero più due stelline e mezza che tre...ma mi sento generosa. Lo stile e la scrittura del libro sono notevoli, ma purtroppo la storia in sè è insipida e non decolla. Tutto si svolge nell'arco di una singola giornata, tanto fitta di eventi da risultare quasi paradossale. A Clare, la protagonista, succede davvero di tutto in 24 ore. Tutto quello che accade, però, non riesce a coinvolgere il lettore, lo lascia quasi indifferente. Talmente indifferente che, a distanza di pochi giorni, non riesco neppure a ricordare come finisce il libro. 1 Kathryn826 35

An interesting story about a pivotal day in the life of Clare, the Irish-American wife of a British diplomat posted in Paris. She's haunted by something she did during her college days, her youngest son is experiencing major problems, and she has less than 24 hours to pull off a major dinner party when her husband's boss takes ill. Korkeakivi is an insightful writer. This story was more thought-provoking than I expected it to be. 1 Diane400

I d this book more than I thought I would at first. There is a lot of detail that made me think being in the State Department would make me completely crazy. It would be hard to imagine a more boring life if it revolved around dinner party after dinner party, sweater sets, and being completely inoffensive in every respect. I wouldn't be able to do that in a million years.

I her writing style, and would probably read something by her in the future.1 Catherine Sumner335 3

Ugh, boring. The jacket copy made it sound this was a spy(ish) story about a woman with a mysterious past embroiled in some international intrigue and living a double life. I was hoping for something Alias-. In reality it was about a day in the life of a woman who thought she did something sort of bad long ago, but in reality did not.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review1 Millicent243 2

Sometimes one misguided decision can haunt you for the rest of your life, & then one day (when you have become a diplomat's wife & the mother of teenagers) you are brought face to face with that one lapse in judgment. Would you respond as Clare did? Would you do anything to help your son avoid the mistake you made? Could you find peace with your actions? This was quite a book!!

1 Laura21

I loved the idea of this book but found it slow paced. Although I guess it would have to be since it takes place in one day. I was hoping for more detail into what Clare did to cause her to never want to travel to Ireland. Maybe I expected a bigger secret. But an ok read overall. 1 Teddie Lok16

A fabulous book. It makes you feel you are living in Paris. The complications of being a wife and mother in middle age and finding oneself changing focus.1 Emilee3

An Unexpected Guest centers around a British Diplomat's wife, Clare, and how some aspects of her past could catch up to her in the near future. At first, this book is intriguing, as the author adds some basic French to make the reader feel as though they are actually in Paris. However, it felt too crowded full of timelines and characters for 277 pages. We find out several things pretty quickly:
1. Clare and Edward, her husband, have a chance to move to a different posting that will has potential to conflict with her past.
2. Jamie (aka James), their son, is a troublemaker and is in trouble (AGAIN) at his boarding school.
3. There is a quick meeting on a street between Clare and a stranger, but this meeting turns out to be a central part of the book.

While I desperately wanted to this book, I didn't. The characters are very unable. Jamie has been coddled his entire life and had started participating in some drastic behaviors (enough to be suspended from boarding school). Clare doesn't want him to be punished for his actions, and it portrays a horrible look onto children of diplomats. Peter, their other child, is only briefly mentioned, as he is the "golden child" and doing fine at school. Just from the way the plot line is written, Jamie is the troubled and the favorite, and may have gotten away with more in his childhood.

Clare had given access to her email to Jamie in order to send an email to his school (pretending he was her) to use a laboratory on campus. After the implied prior behavioral issues of his, why did Clare trust him with her email password? Also, who doesn't have time to write a simple email to the headmaster themselves? I get that Clare is in charge of hosting parties, but she really didn't have five minutes to do that?

Anyways, I also didn't appreciate the secret meetings between Clare and her former lover, Niall, or the brief kiss at the end either. He treated her horribly when they were together and the whole time that he's been gone (20 years) she has still been wanting him over her husband. It felt very unfair to Edward.

The brief meeting with the stranger on the street becomes a huge part of the plot towards the end. In addition to this, the ending felt "forced." There were pages and pages of excruciating detail before this, then the last 50 pages seemed to push too hard to make it all tie together. I would have rather had less detail in the beginning and more at the end, because nothing seemed it was tied together. Who was the actual cause of the Embassy fall? What would the headmaster say when Jamie confessed? What were the true implications on Edward's career for Clare's choices?

In the end, I really wanted to enjoy this book, but didn't, due to all of the reasons above. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Roberta 🌸92 4

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