A web of relationships among several families involved in the arts, science and social movements during England’s and Germany’s Belle Époche. Children’s stories, the Victoria and Albert Museum, craft pottery, puppet theater—Byatt covers an exhaustive range of topics and historical figures from that time. But, to me, she does it flawlessly as always. Her command of subject and her writing is a treasure. Those who have trouble with lots of characters in novels would do well to make a list. The children, particularly, all come and go through the years. It’s not just one person’s story, but Phillip, the apprentice potter ‘rescued’ from the museum, and Dorothy, one family’s determined-to-be-different daughter, give hope that class and circumstance will somehow give way to something more that transcends this time and this place. Highly recommended. One of the best books I’ve read this year.

posted Nov 30, 2009 at 12:31PM

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