Absolutely and Forever by Rose Tremain

Absolutely and forever by Rose Tremain 

Thank you Netgalley for a ARC for an unbiased review.

This novella I found is what I adore about Rose Tremain's writing. The way a few words can be so powerful that you will be reading it with emotions that rattle through you. 

We begin with Marianne and her boyfriend, Simon. Although from a good middleclass background, there is still a gulf in class and to a lesser degree, age between them. 

Marianne is naive, and for a lot of her life, her naivety stays through to her adulthood and shapes decisions she makes.

Simon plans to go to University and Marianne to remain his girlfriend evaporate, when his life unravels because of failed exams. This leads him going to Paris, with Marianne left heartbroken. 

How she navigates her life, as a result of this heartbreak but also the conflicting relationship she has with her parents, are the core of what this story is about, as it shapes her both as a child and as an adult. 

We have tragedy and Marianne facing her life choices as she gets older, that Rose Tremain pulls together in a moving way.

As with other novels by Rose Tremain, her writing pulled me right into the story, and left me thinking about it all long after I'd finished reading. 

This might be a novella, but it brings with the impact longer stories can give. 

5/5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟 for yet another thought provoking, intensely moving and absorbing story from Rose Tremain.