Away from Home — Rona Jaffe

Three young and successful couples have come to the exotic shores of Rio, Brazil, to live and work in the late 50s. The new city offers them an escape -- a private paradise where the pleasures and customs of a vibrant culture can ease the loneliness, pain, and stress from their former American lifestyles. But as they become swept up in the colorful madness of Carnival, their expatriate dreams quickly begin to disintegrate, and secrets from their past begin to resurface. Now, so far away from home and in a foreign land, they have become strangers to one another and have to find themselves once again. Sophisticated and expertly crafted, Away from Home is an engrossing read about rediscovering one's identity in unfamiliar cities and circumstances.