Henry Perowne is a middle-aged man that lives in London. He is a talented neurosurgeon and he lives in a palatial house with his beloved wife Rosalind and son Theo. His son is a blues musician and his daughter is a poet. Her name is Daisy and she lives in Paris.
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Henry wakes up in the middle of the night and he goes straight to the window. He is confused but he realizes that he is about to witness a plane crush. He fears that it might be a terrorist attack and he goes to the kitchen to watch the news. Apparently, the plane landed safely and no one was hurt but the event stirred Henry's fears and he couldn't get back to sleep until early in the morning.
Tired and still anxious, Henry starts his day off by going to his usual squash game. London is brimming with anti-war protesters and he has to take a detour. He is deep in thought and very distracted so he doesn't notice a red BMW getting in his way. Without knowing it, Henry got in touch with a very dangerous guy named Baxter. Baxter has Huntington's disease and this illness makes his moods shift dangerously quick so he threatens and hits Henry in the chest. After a while he leaves the doctor alone and goes away.
Henry makes it in time to his squash game and then he visits his old mother that suffers from Alzheimer's. He has the vague sensation that he is being followed by Baxter's red BMW but he is not sure so he goes on with his life. He prepares dinner and gets ready for the family reunion. His daughter and his father in law are coming to visit so he expects a nice, relaxing evening with his family. But that evening will test his strengths in every possible way. It will reveal his weaknesses and it will change his life forever.
Best part of story, including ending:
I like people that are thinking a lot. You can learn from them.
Best scene in story:
Henry is visiting his old mother. He is patient and calm and very sad when he realises how sick she is.
Opinion about the main character:
Sometimes his lack of spine and his indecisiveness is very annoying.
The story is about a particular saturday in the life of a well known surgeon.
Henry Perowne is a contented man. He is successful in his profession and has a happy loving family. This day his entire family including his artistic but very neurotic father in law, his daughter who lives away, his musically talented son and loving wife who is are lawyer are all supposed to gather for a meal to be cooked by him. But his is plagued by a strange sense of unease.
On his way to work Henry meets with a minor car accident. The aggression of Baxter, the driver of the other car really unsettles him but using his powers of persuasion he manages to escape being killed.
But in the evening Baxter and his accomplice enters his house and holds the whole family hostage. His unease and fears from the morning seem about to be realized.The final outcome is thankfully positive.
Best part of story, including ending:
An entire book about a single day is what I liked about the book.
Best scene in story:
The end where the doctor operates on the man he tried to kill him and his family. It displayed the nobility of the character.
Opinion about the main character:
I liked the sensitivity of the character.
