SWEET CARESS by William Boyd

Ooooh yes, another great story from William Boyd, like putting on a comfy pair of slippers and sitting down with a cuppa, fully confident it won’t be time wasted. Any Human Heart was a marvellous story, the life of Logan Gonzago Mountstuart, born at the end of the 19^th century, died nearly 100 years, and so has a life that touches so many historical moments of the 20^th century. In Sweet Caress he does much the same thing with the life of a woman, also born at the end of the 19^th century, dying nearly 100 years later. Amory Clay, so called by her father because he wanted a boy, leads a most unconventional life for a woman born at this time. Feisty, smart, independent, and not defined by anybody or anything, Amory becomes a photographer, allowing her to move freely in the worlds of both men and women at a time when roles were much more strictly defined, and so have a life, much like Mountstuart’s that records and documents many 20^th century moments and events.

So Amory finds herself caught up in Berlin prior to WWII, caught up in London’s fascist riots, then on the front line with the allies during the war, living and working in New York, falling in and out of love, taking herself to Vietnam when she finds herself widowed, and still taking photos as an elderly woman. Through out the book there are photos, real photos, that illustrate so perfectly the fictional events taking place in Amory’s life. Apparently he had the bones of Amory’s  story, and set about scouring antique shops and estate sales for photos that would tie in with his story. It is wonderful and makes both the story and the photos far more meaningful.

I really liked Amory Clay, her attitude to life, driven both by her heart and head. She is a very real person, makes mistakes, has many regrets and many joys just like most women. Boyd captures the essence of a brave, strong and loving, nurturing woman who has the most marvellous life. A life well lived.