In Louise Dean’s book Becoming Strangers two couples meet on a Caribbean holiday – each of them has been gifted this vacation by their children. Jan and Annemieke come from the Netherlands and are having what is possibly their last ever holiday as Jan is dying from cancer. Dorothy and George are taking the holiday of a lifetime but it becomes very obvious to the reader quite quickly that Dorothy is beginning to lose her mental capacity and her sense of self. Both couples have been married a long time but they have to reassess their relationships in the light of what is happening.
A few things happen during this week – there is a one night stand, someone goes missing and the relationships come under the scrutiny of other guests. The book is told from the point of view of all the participants as well the hotel manager and other characters. In the end, however, this is not a book about events and happenings but a book about relationships, fear and change. Not all the participants behave well and some of them have to change their view of what is happening. The author is sensitive and clever in the way that she uses the location and the other characters to show changes in the minds and thinking of the two couples.
This is a very well written book and one that will get the reader thinking about how their relationship might hold up under this sort of strain. I did find it quite difficult to understand or excuse Annemieke’s attitude and behaviour. I also thought that the ending rather fizzled out and would have liked more resolution to the issues discussed in the book. Nevertheless this was an interesting read.
Anne Is Reading 