Diane Wald

Artists, writers and other creative people live mostly in their heads. What they can image far exceeds what reality has to offer. However, living in one’s head can be lonely. It is natural then that those who are creative long for a connection to others who understand them, who get them. They literally yearn for a meeting of the minds. This is the idea behind Gillyflower. It begins with a dream and a look, and what follows is a sometimes amusing, sometimes sad love story between two unlikely people, an aging Irish actor, Hugh and a young Boston artist, Nora. Each chapter is told by one of the four main characters. I don’t normally like books written from multiple points of view, but Diane Wald uses this technique so well, that it seamlessly advances the plot and gives depth to each character. That, coupled with her beautiful prose, makes this story one that will remain with you long after the last word is read.… (mer)