Interpretations of Love

Spanning war-torn 1940s Liverpool to present-day Oxford, this is the story of deep human connections, to our pasts, to our romantic partnerships, and to ourselves. Malcolm has held on to a secret for more than fifty years, a letter his sister Sophy passed to him on her death bed. He had promised to give it to a lover she had met on the night of the Liverpool Blitz. A night that altered the course of her life. But the letter was never delivered. Now after so many years of denial Malcolm has decided to tell Sophy''s daughter Agnes her mother''s secret. It is the day of Agnes''s daughter''s wedding party. The ghosts of her past and all the strange emotions of the family reunion wrap around her thoughts. Until she is distracted by a hand on her arm, the hand of her uncle Malcolm, holding out an envelope for her to take . . . Told from multiple perspectives, Interpretations of Love is the story of a letter and our endless search for the stories that we have lost.

Autorentext

Jane grew up in Zambia and Cape Town and read English at Oxford. She has worked as a Group Analyst, teaching and training and lecturing internationally, for nearly forty years. Cat Brushing is her first collection.

Klappentext

A masterful debut about the secrets we keep from ourselves and from each other.

Zusammenfassung

'Her work merits comparison with that of Edna O'Brien or Muriel Spark' New York Times

Stretching from war-torn 1940's Liverpool to Oxford at the end of the century, this story explores the emotional landscape of the time and the impact tiny moments of betrayal can have on our relationships in the years that follow.

Malcolm has held on to a secret for more than fifty years: a letter his sister Sophy gave him just before she died. He had promised to give it to the young doctor she met one night during the Liverpool Blitz: a night that altered the course of her life.

But the letter was never delivered. Now, after so many years of uncertainty, Malcolm has decided to share Sophy's secret with her daughter Agnes.

It is the day of Agnes's daughter's wedding party. The ghosts of Agnes's past and all the powerful emotions of the family reunion wrap around her thoughts. Until she is distracted by a hand on her arm as her uncle Malcolm holds out an envelope for her to take . . .

Touching on the many different forms love can take and told from multiple perspectives, Interpretations of Love is the story of a letter and our endless search for the stories that we have lost.