A clever, bittersweet glimpse at a tangled family life and the destructive nature of fleeting moments, desires and encounters. The entitled, affluent setting is almost immaterial, it’s the hidden emotions at play that really matter here. Alexandra Shulman astutely introduces the more intimate thoughts and feelings of the main characters; these occasional forays into their minds encourages a subtle sense of foreboding to swirl across the pages. It often feels as though the characters are flawed chess pieces being moved by an unseen hand in a fiercely competitive game of manipulation and betrayal. The Parrots is a short, incredibly intense and compelling read, the perfect companion for a few hours foray into an eyebrow raising lifestyle.
Outsiders see things others don't. Blessed with status, love, wealth and connections the Tennisons seemed the most enviable of families - until Antonella and Matteo Fullardi, dangerously attractive Italian siblings and offspring of an Italian fashion dynasty, enter their well-managed lives. Calligrapher Katherine, gallery owner Rick and their student son Josh discover that the Fullardis are just as unsettling and alluring as the exotic parrots that now inhabit their tranquil London garden. But this damaged pair are the catalyst that propel the Tennisons into a spiral of chaos, calling into question their place in a changing world of new money, new morality and new menace.
Alexandra Shulman has edited British Vogue since 1992. She is contributor to The Times, Daily Mail, Guardian and Daily Telegraph and lives in London. The Parrots is her second novel; Can We Still Be Friends, Was published by Fig Tree in 2012..
