Despite the strong, interesting themes, it is the characters that probably draw the majority of readers to Lively's novels. Her protagonists, as well as many of her secondary characters, are fully realized, sympathetic people who struggle with the same difficulties and delight in the same joys that readers do. They are also witty, highly intelligent, reflective individuals, and the pleasure of simply listening in on such characters' conversations and thought processes is reason enough to read a Lively novel.

Anne Linton is the prototype of most of Lively's later female protagonists: astute and intellectual, but also deeply maternal and more involved with family, household, and community than with career. Further, like most of Lively's protagonists, Anne shares the author's passion for history and her skepticism of those who distort it and turn it into entertainment. In fact, she is very much Lively's spokesperson, her comments being the main...