Laura and Claire, best friends since childhood, lead fascinating, creative lives. Though Claire's marriage to a French virologist ended in bitter divorce, she has a wonderful teenage daughter; Laura's career as an art advisor to the rich and famous is thriving, and her marriage to a handsome, successful lawyer seems perfect. Like every woman (even Laura's savvy octogenarian grandmother) in a Barbara Taylor Bradford novel, Laura and Claire are sleek, chic, gorgeous, and well-to-do. But, as we learn anew in A Sudden Change of Heart (6 hours), pain and sorrow are blind to good looks and money. When tragedy strikes, three generations of women join together to share their strength and love, and there's as much to make you glad as there is to make you sad. As always, Ms. Bradford delights in the details of her tales - great clothes, sumptuous interiors, menus at swank restaurants - and her legion of fans will delight in her new novel.

Sukey Howard reports on spoken word audio each month. Copyright 1999 BookPage Reviews