In all I think that this is an interesting character driven piece of literature that could spark a debate at a book club.
Translator and lecturer William is haunted by a woman from his past when her lookalike walks into his classroom 25 years after she disappeared. Determined to find out what connection Karen has to his Anna he pushes and questions until Karen relents and discovers something about her past. On this journey to find Anna, William starts to reevaluate the past and his relationship with her. This is a book about learning and healing from the past. William is a deeply feeling character, he almost takes on Anna’s trauma in a way that leaves him reclusive and without human connection. Questioning everything, his identity, motives and the possible reactions of those around him, he comes across as a highly anxious character. Like the trees in the book, even those that have fallen still grow to reach water; and even as broken as William sees himself to be, a lot of his inner turmoil is about wanting life and connection - whether that’s the past with Anna, or the ray of hope later. William as the lead character frustrated me initially. I can’t think of a more charitable way of saying I felt as though I was reading Anna’s story through the filter of a man who’d unnecessarily inserted himself into the narrative. It was frustrating to read him almost take on Anna’s trauma as his own; especially when Anna and Karen both appeared to me as stronger characters and more capable of handling their respective struggles. However this structural point could be interpreted as the human way that everyone is connected, like the underground connections between trees and I was able to put my qualms to the side as I read. I did like that William notices Karen’s resilience and sees how Anna has moved on and had a family and that seems to be the kick needed to encourage him to start to change. In all I think that this is an interesting character driven piece of literature that could spark a debate at a book club.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading Ambassador