"A large, roomy story of love, loss, fidelity, secrets, rivalry and faith in the lives of a charming, flawed troupe of characters.... Provocative and rewarding."--
Boston Globe
"This rich world...draws and holds the reader from the first to the final pages of the work. " --
Denver Post
"Tender but clear-eyed ...Godwin's South has always been a place where charm and good manners can barely conceal the emotional drama pulsing beneath the surface...Recalls the fraught family bonds of Godwin's best novels..."--
San Francisco Chronicle
"Godwin's reserved yet powerful new novel is set in a boarding school in the mountains of North Carolina...Though it's a beautiful well-intentioned institution, the school is anything but serene...."--
New York Times Book Review "If you plan on reading just one great novel in 2010, this might be it... a big old-fashioned book about jealousy and passion at a Catholic girl's school, written with Gail Godwin's trademark depth and humor...."--
Bookpage "Godwin's writing is ... marvelous, engaging, clever." --
Christian Science Monitor
"Poignant and transporting...convincing, satisfying."--
Publishers Weekly
"Intoxicating... Godwin's latest novel charms."--
Asheville Citizen-Times "Masterly."--
Dallas Morning News "A strong story populated by a host of memorable characters-smart, satisfying fiction, one of the author's best in years."--
Kirkus Reviews starred review,
"If you plan on reading just one great novel in 2010, this might be it.
Unfinished Desires is a big old-fashioned book about jealousy and passion at a Catholic girl's school, written with best-selling author Gail Godwin's trademark depth and humor ... Godwin's 13th novel is filled with penetrating observations on women's friendships, family and faith ... The wise, human story she tells reaches beyond the boundaries of region and religion, satisfying any reader looking for a good story."--
Bookpage
"What better setting for exploring female bonds than a Southern Catholic girls' school where epic feuds and forgiveness pass through generations? Godwin's take is
smart and intriguing."
--Good Housekeeping "Ten Titles to Watch For: This seasoned author revisits familiar territory. Fascinating, always."--
O: The Oprah Magazine
Sparking enthusiasm for a play about the founding of their North Carolina mountains Catholic girls' school, a charismatic ninth grader and her recently orphaned best friend set in motion a series of events that have decades-long ramifications. By a three-time National Book Award finalist. Reprint.