2008-08-25 `Prime of Life'

Another `Prime of Life' novel from Transita, but this one was originally published in Australia. It is actually one of my favourites from this publishing house.
`Gang of Four' is what Isabel, Sally, Robin and Grace close friends for nearly twenty years call themselves. They are it is no surprise women of a certain age and are all somehow restless within their lives.
The novel follows the four very different stories of the protagonists as they set about finding themselves in three different continents. Isabel is the first to decide that she needs time and space away from her very dependent family and demanding Mayoral duties. Her decision to spend a year retracing her mother's European travels is the catalyst for the other three. Sally the unattached art teacher travels to San Francisco to follow up on a thirty year old secret and Robin the lawyer escapes to the countryside to break away from a relationship that is going nowhere. Grace a nurse is the one who does not feel the need at first for change until she also unexpectedly finds herself entering a new phase in her life.
I enjoyed reading this and following the journeys of these four women, it was a page turner as I found myself continually wanting to know what happened next to each one. As the chapters swap from one woman to another you sometimes had to wait for awhile, keeping you guessing until it was time for her turn again. I did guess some of the outcomes though not all and found myself getting emotionally involved, happy, sad and angry! Be warned the last few chapters are particularly moving, well I found them so anyway. I think most readers will find that the stories will give them plenty to think about and will find they have empathy with at least one part of someone's story. It was certainly a story I was able to empathise with myself, in some parts in a been there done that way.
Although I would I do not think ever take off alone as they all did, my life changing moment was when my husband and I came to live in Italy.