The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh

 

Title:  The Love of My Life

Author:  Rosie Walsh

Narrated by:  Imogen Church and Theo Solomon

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 28 minutes

Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

Who is the love of your life?  The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh was the Kewaunee Library Page-turner’s Book Club August selection.  Much of our discussion focused on who was the love of the life of the main character?   Or was the book really about the loves of her life?  It made us think about the different types of life – love for your spouse/significant other, children, family, friends.  Can you really just have one love of your life?  It is interesting to ponder.

Emma seems to have a perfect life married to the love of her life, Leo, and with a beloved daughter, Ruby.  Emma is a marine biologist who once had a BBC show and has been struggling with cancer.  Leo is an obituary writer by trade and starts to put together her obituary. As he looks into his wife’s past, he realizes that she may not be the person he has always thought her to be.  What is her secret?  Who is the love of her life?

I listened to The Love of My Life on audiobook.  The story kept me very engaged with all of its twists and turns.  I don’t want to ruin it for others by going too far into those twists and turns.  I think it was better to go in not knowing what was going on.  Imogen Church narrated Emma’s sections and Theo Solomon narrated Leo’s sections.  They did an excellent job.  I thought the story wrapped up well and had a good ending.  I liked both Leo and Emma’s characters and I enjoyed the exploration of trust in a marriage and of second chances.   

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

Sarah is home in England visiting her parents after the destruction of her marriage when she meets Eddie and they have an instant connection.  After spending a fabulous week together, Eddie goes on a trip and never returns.  Sarah is sure that something sinister has happened to Eddie, but her friends are sure that she has been “ghosted” and Eddie has moved on.  What has happened to Eddie?

I’ll admit I had a REALLY hard time reading this novel.  I did finish it, but it really dragged for me at the start and was hard to get into.  The action picked up at the end, but the author tried to build suspense . . . and I saw through it and knew was going to happen.  The book was mostly narrated by Sarah, but Eddie narrates parts as well.  Some chapters were letters from Sarah to Eddie.  I was satisfied by how the book ended and it did get better as it went along.

This book is the November pick for both my Rogue (FLICKS Book and Movie Club) and Kewaunee Library book clubs.  Rogue didn’t seem enthralled with the book, but the Kewaunee Library book club had a good discussion of the book and it had a more positive impact.  I really enjoyed the questions the librarians came up with today as well as the excellent cake.

Favorite Quotes:

“She had this laugh, like a little bird at first, only then it would broaden to something so unladylike.  She saw the joy in life, wherever she went.”

“I don’t believe that love is meant to be like an explosion.  It is not meant to be dramatic, or ravenous, or any of the silly words ascribed it by writers and musicians.  But I do believe that when you know, you know.”

Overall, Ghosted is an interesting look into forgiveness and hate, and into the modern phenomenon of being “ghosted.”