Is It Madness to Believe You Can Be in Love With Two People at the Same Time?

To quote Ross Lockridge, Jr., from his novel, Raintree County: “The saddest moment of our life is the moment of betrayal.  To love someone is to betray someone.”  My new novel. A Tall, Imperious Bloom, explores themes of love and betrayal, asking, is it madness to believe you can love two people at the same time?  What determines one’s morality? 

My story begins with Bill Davidson, recently divorced, who finds solitary comfort in routine as he lives with the odds and ends of his past.  Nearing forty, Bill is a successful public relations executive for a firm in Upstate New York.  Perhaps he drinks a little too much.

Ariel Trent is admired for her ethereal beauty and her talent, but is plagued with small-town notoriety.  Since the death of her second husband, William, she has sequestered herself from the world, waiting and living out her days with memories that linger to haunt her.

On a snow-covered side-street, on the Millennium New Year, Bill’s and Ariel’s paths cross violently, altering the course of their lives.

Guilt-ridden for being the cause of the automobile accident that lands Ariel in the hospital, Bill begins a daily vigil beside her hospital bed.  Captivated by her delicate beauty, he yearns to know more about the woman with whom he is falling in love.  He begins to search through Ariel’s past, through her journals and love letters, and becomes obsessed in his attempt to free her from the ghostly hold of William, the great love of her life.

I have discovered that to read is to learn new things about the world and yourself; I get to explore more fully what I’ve learned through the exercise of writing.  Twenty years ago I read Raintree County, by Ross Lockridge, Jr.  It’s haunting prose and imagery stayed with me.  A Tall, Imperious Bloom is in many ways inspired by his novel.

A final word:  This novel is not a comedy!  Nor is it for the faint-hearted.   But, if you’ve ever known a grand passion, this book is for you. If you’ve ever yearned for a grand passion, this book is for you. If you’ve known and lost a grand passion, this is your story.

– Agata Stanford

 Get the book here.