(Journey to Light)

June, 1988  

When she knows he’s sleeping, Maria shifts his heavy arm to her hipbone where it will be lighter. She tries to go to sleep before his smacking sounds assault her. As yet their bodies are close but she’ll have to turn – despite the air cond­iti­oner she feels hot even under one sheet. They hadn’t made love, Tony had been too freaked out. He had kissed her quickly, mumbled he felt dizzy, snuggled up to her and fell asleep almost immediately.

That’s how it starts, this novel about Dutch-Canadian Maria married to Tony the Italian.