Mapping the Edge: A Novel

In "Mapping the Edge," Sarah Dunant's impressionistic thriller, Anna, a single mother with a seven-year-old daughter, takes a break from her life for a short trip to Italy on her own. When she does not return her friends, Estella and Paul--she the best friend, he a (gay) chum of Anna's--act as surrogate parents and rush to Anna's house to relieve the professional babysitter, who has to go home to her family, in caring for the daughter, Lily.In alternating chapters we are given two possible explanations for Anna's failure to return (titled "Away," these are told in the third person) after which there is a chapter called "home," a first-person narrative related by Estella. This pattern repeats itself for the duration of the journey. Although Ms. Dunant does not specifically say so, perhaps the more sinister version of Anna's fate (she is being held against her will by a stalker) is imagined by Estella while the more romantic one (she has meet a lover and has simply decided to spend one more weekend with him) is imagined by Paul.Regardless, the interwoven tales mesh smoothly, and the prose is lucidly clear. The characters are believable and somewhat sympathetic--even the stalker. It's a gripping read.

While there IS unquestionably a mystery to be solved in this book, I'd hate to classify this one as simply a "mystery" novel. It is just as much a book about the way we all classify the borders of safety and risk in our lives, walking that fine line everyday - and how a sudden decision can change everything. Rich and rewarding to read, I felt like I'd been shown parts of myself as well as those of the characters in this book. I absolutely loved reading this one! Anna is a single mother, unquestionably devoted to her daughter, Lily, but also torn between the self-sacrifice required of parenthood and the equally strong need for adult pleasure, companionship, passion and love. A pivotal moment occurs when Anna takes off rather suddenly on a trip to Europe - leaving her young daughter in the hands of trusted friends, Paul and Estella. When Anna doesn't return as expected, both friends become worried and then, in turn, more concerned and suspicious. Where is Anna? Is she safe? And could she possibly be a willing part of her own disappearance? The book is written from several points of view - that of Paul and Estella and also that of Anna herself. As the days unfold, so do the events and the mystery deepens. Who is Anna meeting in Europe - and why? Who is the mysterious stranger Anna meets unexpectedly and what part will he play? While I was drawn into this novel, potential readers should know that it can be a bit confusing and tricky to follow at times, as there are several subplots and the action isn't always sequential, jumping from one plot to another in the same day. I understood that this was done to deepen the various mysteries which were unfolding but some readers might find it more than a bit irritating and hard to follow. The mystery and intrique kept me going, however, and made it more than worth the effort. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

The author chose to write two parallel stories from the same basic set up. I found the layout of chapters for each story were not clearly identified, making reading them more challenging. I also felt that because the author did not stick to one story line the character development suffered, details were missing and the quality of the writing suffered. I will say, to the author's credit, this book led to a very lively discussion at book club.

Characterized by crisp phrasing and an impressive clarity of description, Dunant has fashioned a story that easily transcends the typical mystery-thriller genre. With a practiced and skillful hand, Dunant steers her readers through the intricacies of familial relationships and affairs of the heart.At the core of it all is Anna, a single mother who adores her daughter, Lily, and has constructed a loving, if unconventional family with the help of close friends. In her almost obsessive love for Lily, the beautiful, independent Anna begins to fear the loss of herself in the constant fascination of the ever-changing Lily. So she takes a short holiday to Italy, there to renew neglected facets of her life in a tryst with a new lover, seeking the assurance that motherhood hasn't robbed her of the stimulation of physical and emotional passion she occasionally craves. Anticipating a short escape into the arms of pleasure, Anna's finely tuned intelligence senses something amiss in her personal Garden of Eden. Her brief but intense affair with the mysterious "Samuel" sends a shiver of uncertainty below the seemingly uncomplicated cloak of pleasure, while Lily remains safely ensconced at home in London with her mother's dearest friend, Estelle, and "surrogate" father, Paul. But pinpricks of anxiety also begin to intrude upon their purposefully domestic facade, segueing into the worst-case scenario when Anna fails to return as planned. For the child's sake, the adults maintain a united front, quietly enduring an increasing sense of impending tragedy.Anna's motherhood is finely rendered, artfully exposed and vulnerable, her character the very essence of rapturous first-time motherhood, the pure joy of watching a child bloom, whose very existence is celebrated by those who surround her. Equally comfortable in her sensual skin, Anna explores the boundaries of a sexual relationship with a natural earthiness that is seductive and imaginative. There is a genuine engagement of intelligence by this author, beyond solving a clever crime, and the reader wants nothing so much as to see this child reunited with this mother, to put that small, but perfect, universe back in balance. Dunant clearly respects the aptitude of her audience, the ability to appreciate the blending of intellectual curiosity and mystery, in a compelling tale of love, betrayal and compassion.

Every Sarah Dunant novel is a delight. 'Mapping the Edge' is original, surprising, and gripping, a page-turner demanding that you keep up with its twists and turns. Like the film 'Sliding Doors' she offers alternate scenarios for her central character, the enigmatic Anna, but with technical prowess and her experienced pen, Sarah Dunant creates a much more subtle, complex story of a troubled and dissatisfied contemporary woman. The backdrop of Anna's less-than-conventional family set-up provides an unlikely rock supporting the fragile double existence of Anna. But Anna's adventure in Italy proves to be an unexpected foray into the imaginative mind of possibilities. Is Anna going to join a lover she has met via secret dating, or is she the victim of a predatory madman? Is the whole story make-believe on Anna's part or is she covering up her real life? Is she a victim or an exploiter? Is any of her story true?Weaving fiction on fiction, intertwining her threads with typical Dunant dexterity,the reader is left wondering if the whole novel is a ghost story, a study in duplicity and deception, or a social comment on contemporary family structures with a sensational plot. Sarah Dunant's writing has never been more edgy, more tantalising. She never shirks implications, never states the obvious. A novel of our time, unpredictable and tantalising, 'Mapping the Edge' uses standard contemporary romance tropes - Anna flying to meet her lover in Florence, the Gothic ghostly alternative story, mail-order dating - but this isn't your conventional romance. If you want something rather different from the usual romantic novel, a story to challenge your imagination, then this is it.

I found this a very unsatisfactory book and full of minor annoyances. Can anyone be tall and stocky? The plural of fish is not fishes. Surely people had telephone extensions on other floors by 2009? I always understood the Madonna to be the mother of Jesus and not God. This is the second and last Dunant book I shall read, Transgressions was just plain nasty

When Estella finds that her friend Anna has suddenly disappeared, leaving her daughter, eight year old Lily, in the care of Paul, a loving though surrogate father, and his boyfriend Mike, she has to leave her beautiful apartment in Amsterdam to help with the necessary childcare. Anna is a journalist, and when they find several Lonely Hearts newspaper ads ringed in her tiny home office, they suspect that one of them might lead them to her. This proves to be a false beginning, and it is not the last. The problem is they cannot convince themselves that Anna would leave Lily. They call in the police. This novel artfully suggests two different scenarios as to what has happened to Anna, one of them full of tension and terror in the deeply forested countryside of northern Italy, and another, less stressful, but equally intriguing and set in the throes of a love story with an exceptionally attractive man. Each of them are played out with the background of what is happening back in London as Estella moves in to look after Lily. Which is the true story - take your pick. The book will keep you guessing up to the riveting ending. It is a coolly controlled read, never putting a syllable out of place, cleverly constructed so that each of the two scenarios mirrors something of the other. The tension ratchets up and never lets you go. Absolutely stunning in its virtuosity, it is a must-read.

If you’re a fan of Sarah Dunant you’ll enjoy this story. It takes the form of a dual narrative, interweaving two different experiences taken by Anna who “goes missing”.I liked the twisting structure and was interested in finding out how Anna felt and acted in her differing circumstances.This type of storytelling has been repeated often since the book came out in 1999 but it’s still worth a read to enjoy Dunant’s effective, engaging storytelling.

As described