Mates are not always matches, and matches are not always mates,‘ pronounces Magda Danvers.

Years ago, dazzling, domineering Magda swept the shy, virginal Francis into one of the most extraordinary marriages imaginable. Now, as she lies dying, Francis’s role as the Good Husband is put to the most extreme test.

Moving from the Deep South to Eastern Europe and the cathedral towns of England, this is a rich and rewarding novel with the scope and all the moral force of George Eliot.