Review from The List (Scotland), August 2004. Review by Doug Johnstone

About half way through this atmospheric debut novel, the following line appears: 'There was sex, there was the weather.' It's a succinct summary of the two main topics addressed in Geography, a story that is told with texture and depth, yet which leaves one with a slight feeling of disappointment. The story is of obsessive love, as our narrator Catherine falls hopelessly and brutally for the older and cagier Michael.

The tale trots around the globe from Australia to America and on to India with Sophie Cunningham evocatively using the extreme climates of the world as metaphor for the extreme nature of our two main protagonists' relationship. The sex scenes are equally explicit and vivid, never seeming gimmicky or stage, but while Cunningham can clearly create atmosphere and setting, the plot of Geography does tend to wander a little at times. With a storyline to match her settings, Cunningham could well become a powerful novelist.

Posted by Sophie at 10:50 AM