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Book Review By David Fletcher
Talking To The Dead by Helen Dunmore

Nina has taken time off from her job as a news photographer to be with her convalescing sister Isabel. Isabel has just given birth to a son and she is looking for emotional support. She, her husband Richard and the baby are at a seaside estate where it is hoped Isabel's health will recover, when they ask Nina to come and help out. Nina is having an affair with Richard and despite Isabel's frail health they pursue their tryst with an almost shameless regularity often within earshot of Isabel.

Meanwhile, Isabel's health is failing, she lacks the desire to care for her newborn, and she takes to wandering off from the manorhouse.

With a sense of impending doom the mood of the novel darkens and the forgotten past events from childhood that are troubling Nina slowly come back to her.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book? - depressed
Time/era of story - 1980's-1999
Romance/Romance Problems Yes
Kind of romance:
Family, caring for ill Yes
Who is sick? - Sister
because he/she is - physically ill
Married, fooling around? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Nationality

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status:
How sensitive is this character?
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 7 ()
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Small town? Yes

Writing Style
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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