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Summary

PaulaHoney
The book gives one chapter to each character connected by an international newspaper based in Rome. Most of the characters are on the newspaper staff, although some are mothers and lovers of newspaper staffers. The book jacket promises a meaningful connection between these many chapters, which is why I pursued the book. However, I did not find the connections particularly meaningful. The chapters, individually, are beautifully written and very sensitive to true human emotion. This is a serious, strong novel. The stories are not happy. Many of the characters deal with depression, loneliness, frustration, futility. The novel displays a bleak outlook on human life, as each person is on their own sinking ship.