A
Certain Age
by Beatriz Williams is part mystery, part historical, and
part romance that is based upon Richard Strauss’ opera,
Der Rosenkavalier. It has a gripping plot involving family
secrets, an unsolved murder, intrigue, and scandal during
the l920s. The title is a metaphor for the time period and
the age of each character that is very relevant to the storyline.
The narrative alternates between the perspective of Sophie
Fortescue and Theresa Marshall with each chapter beginning
with a quote from the actual journalist and humorist Helen
Rowland. As the story unfolds readers understand that socialite
Theresa, age 44, is having a love affair with Captain Octavian
Rofrano, a handsome twenty-two year old aviator and hero of
World War I. She enlists him to act as her brother’s
cavalier to present the family’s engagement ring. After
meeting Sophie Octavian becomes enthralled with her. With
the love triangle progressing the saga emphasizes divided
loyalties, dangerous revelations, and surprising twists.
Williams once commented that she wants to make her characters
interesting with a likeable and unlikeable side. She has certainly
achieved her goal in this book.
Octavian is honorable and loyal, yet appears to be somewhat
of a “wus” in the relationship with Theresa. He
allows her to take complete control and while professing his
love for her falls head over heals for Sophie.
She wrote him as a hero who “sacrificed for his country
and had to deal with the fact that many of his friends died
in the war. An aviator in WWI has a life span of about six
weeks. He had survivor’s guilt. He understands he has
the power to walk away, but would never do that because it
would break his code of loyalty, obligation, and honor. He
loves Theresa because she needs him and has brought him back
to life. Theresa’s hurt heals through the love of Octavian
while his war wounds heal through her. The challenge is making
readers understand the dynamics of each relationship.”
Theresa has had a hard time in her life, forced into a marriage
at a young age, having her husband cheat on her from day one,
has a still born daughter, and loses her favorite son during
WWI. But she is also very manipulative and controlling. It
seems that Octavian to her is no more than a plaything as
she calls him Boyo, never by his name and orders him around
as if he is her servant.
Williams wanted, “readers to sympathize with her. She
has iron around her heart because she has been hurt over and
over again. The shield she hides behind is to appear uncaring.
Her emotional intimacy is expressed through sexual intimacy
with Octavian. She needs to be in complete control of their
complicated relationship.”
Sophie is an innocent, gutsy woman who strives for independence
and symbolizes the women of that era who challenged the role
society has pigeonholed for them.
There is also the return of a character from an earlier book,
Julie Schuyler, the new friend of Sophie. She represents a
flapper, someone who dressed and acted boldly, drinking in
excess and enjoying her many relationships.
Williams noted, “Readers might remember her from my
earlier books. She will also be in my next book. Since my
books focus on finding the right person who will be supportive,
I could never make her the focus of the story. She sleeps
around, gets married, and then divorced. She is a catalyst
character who makes things happen to the main character, seeming
to know all the secrets. Through her I am able to show what
it was like to be that kind of woman in the 1920s and 1930s
with her newfound freedoms.”
An added bonus Williams has become known for are the descriptive
and detailed happenings of the 1920s, which add depth to the
story. Through the characters people see the conflict between
old and new money, the demeanor of Ty Cobb, the famous horse
Man O’ War, as well as the growing importance of the
new technologies, the automobile and airplane.
Coming from a middle class life in suburban Seattle, Williams
commented she went “on vacation with her family to Oregon
for the Shakespeare festival. It was a very absorbing experience
with my parents always coaching us about the plays so we knew
what is going on. Since my parents had intellectual interests
and were not into the pop culture it made it hard for me to
relate to people growing up. Now as an adult I look on it
as my secret weapon. I love Shakespeare and operas and I don’t
care if that makes me a geek. I feel very fortunate because
it helped influence my writings. Anyone who pays attention
to Shakespeare sees the relationship conflict, which is the
centerpiece for my books, when characters are placed into
emotional jeopardy.”
Those who read her books will never be disappointed. She creates
a suspenseful plot with characters that are three-dimensional. |
