Shadows and Light

by Francesca Stanfill

Allegra Clayton, an art expert at Sotheby's in New York, falls in love with a sophisticated member of the glamorous art world and develops a sexual obsession that takes over her life.

327 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Francesca Stanfill was born in Oxford, England, and grew up in New York City and Los Angeles. She is a graduate of Yale University, where her studies included the History of Art and medieval history.
Her articles have appeared in many publications, including The New York Times Magazine, New York, and Vanity Fair. Her lifelong fascination with the twelfth century and its legendary queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, propelled her to write The Falcon's Eyes, her third novel. She lives in New York.

Reviews

[Anthony Colozza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well on the plus side the writing was pretty good. It is easy to follow and provides a good visualization of the characters and events. However, the story is really lacking. It is like a fictional memoir that isn't really that interesting. The story follows the main character through her life and her short and unfortunate marriage. There is a little drama and some minor surprises but there is really nothing here that is going to keep your interest. If you have time to kill it isn't that bad based on the writing alone but don't expect some profound story that will keep you think long after you are done reading.