Book Description

The story of two people who make decisions on the spur of the moment that have unforeseen and life-changing consequences. Not the Same River spans a period of eighteen months in the lives of two very successful, single people in their late 30s; Jack Millfield, an advertising agency executive; and Dr Maggie Savernake, a university lecturer. Former fellow students, they meet again after many years at a reunion in London and attempt to recreate their previous romantic liaison – with unexpected and disastrous consequences for both of them. They have not stopped to consider that many years have passed since they first met and they are no longer the same people... ‘What are you going to do?’ he asked after a long pause. ‘What do you mean, what am I going to do?’ A muscle twitched in Jack’s jaw. ‘What are you going to do?’ he repeated. The novel highlights the implications of an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy from Maggie and Jack’s individual points of view, not shying away from the harsh realities of the profound emotional fallout that comes from very difficult and life-changing decisions. Anne throws light on the shifting perceptions of identity and sense of self that faces so many single people living in contemporary society and all the challenges that presents. The dissonance between instinctive human emotions and the stresses of modern life is a subject that is very close to Anne’s heart and a theme that underpins the entire novel. Not the Same River is a gripping contemporary novel that reflects the precarious nature of everyday life – how everything changes and nothing stays the same. It will appeal primarily to female readers.