A Partisan’s Daughter by Louis De Bernieres – Review

A Partisan’s Daughter by Louis De Bernieres

Louis de Bernieres, best known for his historical novels Corelli’s Mandolin and Birds Without Wings, returns with a more contemporary story set in his native United Kingdom.

A Partisan’s Daughter is narrated alternately by Chris, an aged British widower, and Roza, a woman of uncertain origin; long separated, the two recount a strange relationship that ended badly years ago. The result is a largely unsatisfying exploration of loneliness buoyed only by moments of poignancy or humor, as well as an admittedly haunting ending.

It all begins one night in London in the late 1970s, when unhappily married Chris discovers that the woman he has just solicited for sex is not, in fact, a prostitute. Tickled by Chris’ acute embarrassment, the woman teases him by claiming that she used to be a high-priced sex worker but no longer. Today, recalling the exchange, Roza muses, “I didn’t know it at the time, but it was the most destructive thing I could have told him.”

Powell’s Books – Review-a-Day – A Partisan’s Daughter by Louis De Bernieres, reviewed by San Antonio Express News.