I picked this novel up on a lazy afternoon, when it was too hot to do much of anything else than sit around, and although I read it only to occupy a few idle hours, it stayed with me for weeks.

The title photograph here is an incriminating one. When digging around in some old files, Glyn Peters stumbles upon an old picture of his deceased wife, Kath, which throws off his entire conception of their past. The repercussions of that discovery among Kath’s family and friends, as they reevaluate the past and reassess their present situations, is the story here, but the adultery and the unhappy families aren’t the main point. What’s more fascinating in exploring the memories of Kath are the connections, entanglements, misunderstandings, and confusion among what should have been, and which certainly appeared to be, a close-knit collection of family and friends.

The characters here are largely unlikable: selfish, uncommunicative, imperceptive, and frequently unkind as they unthinkingly inflict tragedies upon each other. But they are very human in their imperfections, and it is painfully easy to relate to their confusion. This novel is an important reminder that people are not always what they seem, that unhappiness and mental illness can be hidden by a beautiful face and a pleasant personality, and that sometimes the people we should know the best are mysteries to us. If we can learn anything here about life’s messiness and complexities, it may simply be that we should be more observant and kinder to each other, and try to keep in mind how very much we do not know about the lives of others.

NOVEL: The Photograph

AUTHOR: Penelope Lively

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2003

IMAGE: Book cover, Penguin Books