Katherine's House

A treasured island home off the New England coast and a marriage temporarily on hold are intertwined elements of this reflective novel. Troubled by her attachment to possessions, including her ancestral house and its furnishings, and uneasy about the perceived dominance of Morgan, her husband of 30 years, Katherine initiates a separation. Then she embarks on a voyage of inner exploration, savoring her aloneness, reveling in sensuous delights. At the same time, she prepares to sell the house over the objections of a lay-about nephew who is her heir. Freydberg's (Winter Concert lyrical style beautifully conveys the feelings and sensibilities of a sensuous woman and compensates for the, attimes, self-indulgent introspection of the central character. (December 5)