Fortune's Rocks A Novel

In a summer community on the coast of New Hampshire at the turn of the last century, a girl is drawn into a passionate affair with a man nearly three times her age. Fortune's Rocks is the story of Olympia Biddeford - privileged, well educated, & mature beyond her years - & her affair with John Haskell, who not only is a physician, essayist, & champion of mill workers but also is married with three children. Drawn inexorably together on the night of the summer solstice, the pair set in motion a series of events with far-reaching consequences for all involved. A meditation on the erotic life of women, an exploration of deeply ingrained class prejudices, & most of all a portrayal of the thoughts & actions of an unforgettable young woman.

Anita Shreve teaches writing at Amherst College.