The most recent novel by Margaret Drabble, The Sea Lady tells a story of first a
nd last love, of evolution and the ebb and flow of time that gives shape to our
lives. Humphrey and Ailsa meet as children by a grey, northern sea. Humphrey is
quiet, serious - and will in time explore the sea's mysteries; Ailsa is angry, a
freckled cobra ready to strike.
Yet they fascinate one another and when they
meet again years later they fall briefly - and disastrously - in love. Half a l
ifetime passes before Humphrey and Ailsa's paths finally re-cross. What will eac
h make of their past? And of the future? "The Sea Lady proves [Drabble] remains
one of the most thought-provoking and intellectually challenging writers around"
.
