The story is set in Manhattan at the end of the 1980's, amid the dynamic worlds of high finance, publishing houses, major law firms, and the burgeoning high tech industry. The Thursday's Child who lies at its heart, Adele Jansen, has (in the words of the old rhyme about birthdays) far to go. Gifted, ambitious, and determined, she takes one step off the career track for an impromptu excursion with a man as fascinating as he is mysterious. But that one small step draws her gradually into an odyssey. The materials of the narrative are the commonplace stuff of everyday life. But out of this ordinary background emerges a story tinged with genuine myth and secular magic (this is not a supernatural book). I subtitle the book 'An Epic Romance', but it blows the limits of that genre so sky-high, I prefer to submit it as general or literary fiction.
. . .[A]n epic story, seasoned with mystery and romance, of how Adele Elizabeth Jansen's life transforms slowly but irrevocably after meeting author, poet, polymath, and unrecognized genius, Thomas Newcombe. . .
. . The pacing is steady but realistic as it unfolds, allowing readers to become deeply involved in the characters and the world of the story. . .
. . .It immerses one in a world of ambitions and hopes, both big and small, and allows readers to live alongside Adele, experiencing all the joys, the struggles, and the pain that comes with discovering another person's secrets and finding oneself.
Wurtenbaugh delivers an absorbing tale about checkered pasts and new commitments.
One of THE most satisfying reads I've had in a very long time. Proof, once again, that "big" books are not out of style as far as readers are concerned. They may be out of style as far as publishers are concerned - proving they're not really all that concerned about their readers (or writers). I loved this. I found it to be every bit as magical as the description said. Everything I could ever love in a book is in this one. Unforgettable characters. A mesmerizing, mysterious romance. Despicable characters I loved hating and heroes I loved loving.
