'the Face of a Woman'

"The Face of a Woman," a novel by Helen Moir Helen Moir's new novel, 'The Face of a Woman,' is the compelling story of an expatriate family, the McClarens, living in Africa at the beginning of the twenty-first century when the HIV AIDS epidemic has reached its height. The story finely balances the haunting beauty of its setting against the horror of the epidemic which has the potential to destroy the lives not only of the Loswanan people with whom the McClarens live and work, but those...
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"The Face of a Woman," a novel by Helen Moir Helen Moir's new novel, 'The Face of a Woman,' is the compelling story of an expatriate family, the McClarens, living in Africa at the beginning of the twenty-first century when the HIV AIDS epidemic has reached its height. The story finely balances the haunting beauty of its setting against the horror of the epidemic which has the potential to destroy the lives not only of the Loswanan people with whom the McClarens live and work, but those of their own family members. How they deal with the difficulties arising from this situation and eventually triumph forms the main theme of this novel. Above all, this is their story, a story of their sorrows, joys, problems and disappointments, of their love and hope and courage. As the story opens, Greg McClaren, a dedicated and gifted doctor and his wife, Susan, come to the aid of their former domestic servant, Miriam, whose daughter is dying. This revives memories of the death of their own daughter, Elizabeth, in a tragic accident, and of the rift that developed between Susan and her husband as they struggled to cope with their grief. Greg, whose answer to the tragedy was to immerse himself in his work at his newly founded clinic, made courageous attempts to warn the government of the rapidly escalating epidemic. Neglecting his own emotional needs and becoming increasingly withdrawn from his wife, he met an artist, Rosie, and fell deeply in love. However, against all odds, the McClarens' marriage has survived, but Greg appears destined for self- destruction as he struggles to cope not only with the emotional drama of treating the sick and the dying, but to come to terms with his guilt over hurt he has inflicted. We follow events in the lives of the McClaren family over the next two years: the deep love that develops between their son, Michael, and a young doctor, Alison, leads to their marriage, whilst their daughter, Julia endeavours to manage the difficult relationship she shares with her husband, Tony. Meanwhile, Susan battles to restore the happiness she formerly enjoyed with Greg and to ensure the well-being of the people she loves. Eventually, as Greg's mental and physical health threaten to disintegrate under the stress of dealing with a constant stream of patients whose lives have been put at risk by the epidemic, Susan succeeds in persuading him to take an extended holiday in Italy. There, relaxing in the peaceful Tuscan countryside and enjoying visits to Florence and Venice, able to reflect and indulge their passions, Susan's for music and Greg's for sculpture and art history, a measure of healing takes place, culminating in a visit to a Franciscan church where Greg converses with a mysterious priest. Shortly after, bad news from home means the curtailment of their holiday, and they return to Loswana to help deal with a crisis that threatens to destroy the happiness and well-being of Michael and Alison and their unborn child. Alison, whilst dealing with the victim of a traffic accident, has received a needle stick injury and has become infected with HIV. Shocked and afraid, Michael begins to panic and is in danger of losing all he holds dear. Alison sets off to Kenya to visit her parents; she wants to tell them face to face of her condition. She warns him that unless he can be totally supportive, their marriage is at an end. Eventually, encouraged by his parents and inspired by the courage of his wife and young Loswanans who live with the virus, he finds the strength to overcome his fears, and sets off to persuade Alison that no matter what the future brings, he will love her and stand by her.