Jade Rating: 4/5.The plot revolves around a history teacher Barbara Covett's narrative of an illicit affair between her fellow colleague Sheba Hart and her teenage student Stephen Connolly. Despite having a seemingly happy and normal marriage, a good relationship with her children and a good job as a pottery teacher at the local high school, Hart risks it all to have an affair with Connolly despite being fully aware of the inappropriate nature of this relationship. Covett appears to be Hart's only comrade when this scandal becomes public, however things are not what they seem. Despite Hart's affair which goes against every social convention and is an obvious abuse of power, the audience feel empathy for her as Covett 'unintentionally' reveals to us that she is overbearing in their relationship as friends and explores Hart's family problems too.
Heller's narration through the voice of Covett is detailed and extremely believable and I often forgot that her irrational and sometimes outrageous ideas about friendship were fictional outbursts and that I was reading a book! Her overbearing nature and her intimate relationship with Hart makes her 'busybody' narrative exciting and a great joy to read. She also reveals aspects of her lonely spinster existence and social awkwardness which serves to explain her hostile behaviour.
Although the storyline was well structured and narrated, I wanted it to be longer and to explore the unconventional friendship between Hart and Covett. I think another chapter at the end of the book to wrap up the story would have made this a better read.
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