The Sea House

In Esther Freud's fifth book twenty-something architecture student, Lily, has rented a cottage and is working on a project about German architect Klaus Lehmann based on letters he wrote to his wife, Elsa during the period after the war. Deaf artist Max Meyer who has just lost his sister meets Klaus and Elsa in Steerborough, a seaside village in Suffolk.


Chapters alternately portray the experiences of Lily then Max. Parallels are drawn between the life of Lily and her obnoxious architect boyfriend and that of Elsa and the domineering Klaus. The two stories which occur during two different time periods fit a little too neatly to be convincing and seem contrived.
This may have been a perfect book for reading at the beach but it didn't make much of an impression on me and I wouldn't recommend it.