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Foreign Affairs

Borisch, Sarah Allan

511 pages

A witty and poignant comedy of manners about lonely academics finding dizzying, unexpected romance while abroad in London.

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What it feels like

Reading this novel feels like stepping into a sharply observed, witty comedy of manners where the ache of loneliness meets the dizzying thrill of unexpected romance. The narrative unfolds at a steady, engaging pace, wrapping the reader in a poignant yet comic atmosphere of cultural displacement and midlife awakening. The prose is smartly written and deeply observant, capturing the mortifying but deeply satisfying nature of human connection with wry precision. It perfectly balances the melancholic reality of feeling adrift with the charming unpredictability of new liaisons. This is a book for readers who delight in character-driven stories about academics abroad, offering a brilliant exploration of alienation, vulnerability, and the surprising ways we find ourselves when far from home.

Mood
  • wistful
  • romantic
  • melancholic
  • charming
Tone
  • wry
  • witty
  • poignant
  • smart
Pace
steady
Themes
alienation abroad · unexpected romance · midlife awakening · loneliness and connection · cultural displacement
The writing
Smartly written, witty, and poignant, balancing sharp comic observation with deep emotional resonance.
The arc
Moves from aching loneliness and rigid alienation to dizzying, unexpected romantic connection and vulnerability.
Who it's for
Readers who love sharp, character-driven comedies of manners about academics finding unexpected romance and self-discovery abroad.
Content notes
  • marital separation
  • loneliness

About the book

Virginia Miner, a fifty-something, unmarried tenured professor, is in London to work on her new book about children’s folk rhymes. Despite carrying a U.S. passport, Vinnie feels essentially English and rather looks down on her fellow Americans. But in spite of that, she is drawn into a mortifying and oddly satisfying affair with an Oklahoman tourist who dresses more Bronco Billy than Beau Brummel.

Also in London is Vinnie’s colleague Fred Turner, a handsome, flat broke, newly separated, and thoroughly miserable young man trying to focus on his own research. Instead, he is distracted by a beautiful and unpredictable English actress and the world she belongs to.

Both American, both abroad, and both achingly lonely, Vinnie and Fred play out their confused alienation and dizzying romantic liaisons in Alison Lurie’s novel. Smartly written, poignant, and witty, Foreign Affairs remains an enduring comic masterpiece.

Description from Open Library.

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