Fortune's Rocks

Fortune's Rocks is a great book. A must have to add to a most loved library.

This is the French text edition of the book, "Fortune's Rocks", a well-crafted and lyrically written narrative, evocative of an era gone by. It tells the story of Olympia Biddeford, the unusually erudite and well-educated fifteen year old daughter of a Boston Brahmin. One hot and steamy summer in turn of the century New Hampshire, she falls passionately and utterly in love with her father's friend, forty one year old John Haskell, a physician and man of letters, who has a wife and four children. She, captivated by his intelligence and his crusade on behalf of exploited mill workers, and he, drawn to her youth, intelligence and beauty, leave all thought of propriety behind. Breaking every moral and social taboo of the time, they enter into a forbidden, illicit love affair, which is ultimately doomed, with cataclysmic ramifications for all whom the affair touches. The book explores how this young woman copes with the loss of her life in a larger social milieu, once the affair enters into the public domain through the machinations of another. She and the doctor, as well as their respective families, are tainted with scandal and presented with the fruit of that illicit love. The book explores how Olympia must reconstruct the tatters of her life into one in which she is finally able to expiate her youthful indiscretion within the context of the mores of the time. In doing so, she goes on a voyage of self-discovery. Yet, through it all, she never once renounces her devotion to the man who introduced her to the throes of a passion so deep and profound that she gave herself over to it, body and soul. How these star-crossed lovers finally come to terms with their grand passion is a story that the author seamlessly weaves into a book that will keep the reader riveted to its pages. Bravo!

I had only read one book by Anita Shreve (The Pilot's Wife) prior to picking up Fortune's Rocks, so I wasn't really expecting anything phenomenal, just a good, decent story. Was I ever pleasantly surprised! Fortune's Rocks was way more than your average book -- the historical setting by itself was enough to keep me reading.Fortune's Rocks tells the story of 15-year-old Olympia Biddeford and the summer that changed her life. While vacationing with her family in Fortune's Rocks, New Hampshire, Olympia notices something different about herself. She does not feel like a little kid anymore, but more of a woman, aware of her surroundings and the looks she receives from the boys on the beach. But it isn't just boys who find themselves drawn to Olympia -- at a dinner gathering, Olympia's father's guest, John Haskell, a 40-something doctor and writer, feels himself drawn as well. Soon, Olympia and John embark on a love affair despite their age difference -- and despite the fact that John is married and the father of four small children. And this affair, although true love for Olympia and John, only proves to be disasterous for all involved.Set in 1899, the historical era of the novel is its best asset. I love historical fiction, and I believe this aspect is what made the story so involving and good. Anita Shreve's writing is very complementary to the time frame -- I really felt I was dropped in the midst of 1899 while reading. Fortune's Rocks was less predictable than Pilot's Wife, and I was actually surprised a few times at the direction the story was taking. I highly recommend this novel -- especially to those who love historical fiction.

Olympia, the main character, begins a passionate, forbidden romance with a much older man. I don't always like these May/November romances, but I found this one compelling -- perhaps because it's told from the point of view of Olympia who is struggling to grow up in repressed, Victorian times. She may be young and inexperienced, but she certainly isn't seduced -- in fact, at times, she seems like the stronger of the two. Olympia is able to grow into her true self only by breaking the rules and stepping outside the bounds of "proper" society. She has a conscience, too. This book deals with not only their romance, but touches on questions of conscience, such as women's rights, abortion, poverty and other social issues. I didn't see the ending as a cop out to the happy endings that we love so well, but as the natural outcome of Olympia's spirit and determination. GREAT STORY! I also loved it that the author used the same setting as she did for The Pilot's Wife. It was fun to read about how that area was at the turn of the century.

This book is my third Anita Shreve novel. The first two were the Pilot's Wife - which I wasn't that crazy about - and The Weight of Water - which I enjoyed very much. As a matter of fact, it was the Weight of Water which caused me to give Anita Shreve another try. And I am very glad that I did.I found Fortune's Rocks to be touching and a real page-turner. Olympia and Haskell were not all that sympathetic, of course. They were selfish and self-centered, and did some truly terrible things. Yet there is something about all that passion that is very intoxicating!This book reminded me very much of a book called Emmeline by Judith Rosner. In Emmeline, a girl goes to work in some type of factory (I forget what kind) and falls in love with an older married man. Emmeline ends up getting pregnant by this man, and he betrays her. I thoroughly recommend that book as well, by the way. It has one of the most shocking endings I have ever read. I am now reading my fourth Anita Shreve novel - Eden Close - and am enjoying that one as well. I'm glad I discovered this very entertaining, talented writer and I'm glad I didn't give up on her after the mediocre Pilot's Wife.

I absolutely loved Fortune's Rocks and I think it's one of Anita Shreve's best! However, every novel of hers that I've read thus far could be considered her best. I've read the Pilot's Wife, the Weight of Water, Strange Fits of Passion, and now Fortune's Rocks (in that order) and every story is so beautiful and every character so real that I find when I'm reading one of her novels, everything else is no longer a priority. I don't want to give anything away for anyone who is about to read this book so I'll just say that, as always, Anita Shreve has developed her characters so well that when I was finished with this book I was so sad that I could no longer be a part of their lives. I reccomend this book to any fans of Anita Shreve.