James, Erica 1960-

PERSONAL:

Born 1960.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Orion, Orion House, 5 Upper St., Martin's Ln., London WC2H 9EA, England.

CAREER:

Novelist.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

A Breath of Fresh Air, Orion (London, England), 1996.

Airs and Graces, Orion (London, England), 1998.

A Sense of Belonging, Orion (London, England), 1998.

Time for a Change, Orion (London, England), 1999.

The Holiday, Orion (London, England), 2000.

Precious Time, Orion (London, England), 2001.

Hidden Talents, Orion (London, England), 2002.

Paradise House, Orion (London, England), 2003.

Love and Devotion, Orion (London, England), 2004.

Gardens of Delight, Orion (London, England), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS:

Erica James has chosen the English countryside as the setting for her novels. In A Breath of Fresh Air, Charlotte Lawrence learns that her husband has died in a car crash hours after she asked him for a divorce. She leaves Brussels, where they had lived in connection with Peter's job, and heads back to her home, the Cheshire village of Hulme Welford, and a cozy cottage, where she tries to shed feelings of guilt. Charlotte's parents provide no support. Her mother is a cold woman, and her father is obsessed with his garden. Charlotte's sister, Hilary, makes up for their inattention by attempting to pair Charlotte with Alex Hamilton, a handsome new man in town who has experienced a personal tragedy of his own. Characters include a prankster who spreads unfounded gossip about Charlotte, a ladies' man who spikes the drink of the town teetotaler, and Tiffany, Charlotte's teenaged babysitter, who teaches the children math and helps Charlotte in her search for a job. A Publishers Weekly reviewer said some of these characters, and particularly Tiffany, "shine." "With puce-colored hair and a decidedly post-feminist attitude," the Publishers Weekly critic stated, "she's the freshest breath of air in this sturdy little English diversion."

Airs and Graces features three protagonists, women who meet and support each other at critical points in their lives. Ellen Jacobs is newly divorced, having been abandoned by a husband who ran off to France with a younger woman. Unable to maintain her home and lifestyle, Ellen moves to a tiny Cheshire cottage where she establishes a business in dried flower arrangements. Determined not to marry for love again, Ellen cultivates a relationship with her wealthy but dull divorce lawyer, Duncan. Hermione, Ellen's eccentric older friend, lives nearby on her own rundown country place with her godson, Matthew, a brooding artist a neighbor describes as "a bit Heath-cliffy." The two women take in a runaway—young, pregnant, and homeless Jo-Jo—who adds domesticity to their lives and has a good deal of common sense. In fact, Jo-Jo influences Ellen in making a choice between stability and love, true happiness and the airs and graces of the upper class. A Publishers Weekly reviewer said "various complications and surprises keep the plot moving briskly." Catherine Sias wrote in Booklist that the plot is "surprisingly involved" and the characters "interesting, likable, and well-developed." Sias called Airs and Graces "a thoroughly enjoyable novel."

Jessica Lloyd is the primary protagonist in James's A Sense of Belonging. Jessica is one of the new tenants of Cholmford Hall Mews, upscale residences developed in what was once the stables of a shooting lodge. Jessica is a novelist who has moved to the Mews to be closer to her elderly mother. She is suffering from writer's block, caused by her cynicism about romance and love, although she is longing to love and be loved. Josh Crawford, who has been recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, is running from his pitying older brother, Charlie, with whom he runs the family's clothing business. Amanda Fergusson is the new bride of Tony but is having trouble adjusting to her role of homemaker and stepmother to Tony's daughter, Hattie. Kate Morris lives with her lover, Alec, an executive twice her age. Kate is a former librarian who loves children, and she befriends young Hattie. By the conclusion the characters have come to terms with their problems. The plot moves forward through unexpected romances, a divorce, a miscarriage, and a number of reconciliations. "Anglophiles and readers who like happy endings should find ample satisfaction in this bucolic social comedy," wrote a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Booklist reviewer Holly Cooley called A Sense of Belonging an "engaging novel."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July, 1998, Catherine Sias, review of Airs and Graces, p. 1857; August, 1999, Holly Cooley, review of A Sense of Belonging, p. 2037.

Books, April, 1996, review of A Breath of Fresh Air, p. 25.

Publishers Weekly, October 21, 1996, review of A Breath of Fresh Air, p. 70; June 22, 1998, review of Airs and Graces, p. 86; July 19, 1999, review of A Sense of Belonging, p. 185.

Woman's Journal, February, 1996, review of A Breath of Fresh Air, p. 9.