Sonia Gomes's Reviews > The Fountain Overflows

What do you do when your parents are brilliant but eccentric?
Keith Clare a brilliant pianist married to the brilliant writer Piers Aubrey, both eccentric.
But Piers shows a touch of malevolence, he cares for none of his four children. An inveterate gambler leaves his family in utter poverty, although he shows touches of love and creativity during Christmas, when he constructs elaborate wooden castles for them.
Clare Keith just goes through the utter misery of poverty, duns at the door, never a mean thought for Piers, truly believing that music will give them better days and it does!
Seen through the eyes of Rose, one of the twin sisters, the other Mary, both brilliant pianists, living in a world of fantasy, believing fiercely that someday that 'everything will be alright'.
Never do they desire or cherish the good things in life, all they want is music.
Cordelia, is the one who suffers the most, all she wants is to have a normal life, just like the girls at school.
How does one cope? She thinks and pines to be a violinist but has no real talent and her dreams do not amount to much. Strangely she finds that she does have talent for embroidery and puts her heart and soul into it forming a group and working together with Rosamund and Constance.
This is a woman's book, although all the women go through terrible times, there is not much time for weeping and moaning. Both women, Clare and Constance have been abandoned by their husbands, but it hardly seems to make a difference to them or their daughters.
These brave women just go through life, dipping into their inner resources and their talents to great success.
A wonderful book of hope and courage although long drawn out at times.