Love, After All by Ewald Arenz (translated by Rachel Ward)

Gosh, this hot weather - yes, even in Glasgow - is fair slowing me down! I like it warm but it's been so close,it's not easy to be productive! Although theirs a breeze getting up now, which is nice. Anyways... 

I've been reading a lot of crime fiction recently so it was lovely to read something completely different. Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Love, After All written by Ewald Arenz, and translated from German into English by Rachel Ward. Big thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

 

The Blurb

When Clara meets Elias, she isn’t looking for love. Widowed and wary of being hurt again, she has built a careful life of work and quiet independence. Elias, an actor in his thirties, is trapped in a relationship that no longer feels real, more at ease slipping into a role than being himself. Yet from the moment they meet, something genuine sparks between them – something neither has felt in years.

They fall into step easily, sharing secrets, laughter and the sense of being seen. But there is the age difference, the miles between their worlds, and the lingering guilt that ties Clara to her past. When a new job takes her to another part of the country, she ends the relationship before he can – certain that love like theirs cannot last. And then Elias falls ill, forcing them both to confront what truly matters.

Told with warmth, gentle humour and quiet insight, Love, After All is a luminous portrait of two people finding the courage to open their hearts again – proof that love, at any age, can still take us by surprise.

My Review

This was my third Ewald Arenz book and, already, he's one of those authors for whom I know I'll read each new book as it comes out. Let me try to explain why. 

Clara is trying to sell the cottage she no longer uses - it's  full of memories of life with her late husband. Vera and Elias can't afford the cottage but are curious to take a look at it. Their visit to the house puts into motion something that none of them can stop, as Clara and Elias are drawn to one another. They are very different and yet they fall into step together - literally and figuratively - easily. 

When we meet Clara she's clearly hurting and emotionally guarded but there is an immediate warmth to her. Elias, an actor, tends to be theatrical in all that he does, but he has a real depth. But they both have an ability to see the beauty in things, and can say so much with words, or even touch. We know she is older than him but, beyond that, their actual ages are not discussed. It worries her though, the difference, much more than it worries him. 

Theirs is a relationship that many might yearn for, because it seems almost impossible - one of real depth - and some of us are lucky enough to experience something similar. Their story talks to the importance of being seen, really seen, and understood. And it's obvious to everyone that that's the case. But it can't always be rainbows and sprinkles, no relationship can, and alongside the highs there are some very real lows. What marks out any relationship, though, is how those involved respond to the bad times. And there are turbulent times here. 

I have to mention Clara's family as they also feature heavily, particularly her brother Jan, and her mother. Both are really strong characters, and as someone who has had recent, although different, experience of a parent with dementia, this part of the storyline was very poignant. 

I had read both of Ewald Arenz's previous novels, Tasting Sunlight and One Grand Summer and loved both of them, particularly the former.  They both had themes of love, friendship, family and belonging,  and it is no different here. Love, After All is a beautifully written tale - so descriptive - of a love story that is both gentle and fierce, and one which took me on a real emotional rollercoaster - I was a bit wrung out at the end but loved every second of it. 

Finally, I have such admiration for translators.  They have given me access to so many fantastic authors whose work I wouldn't have never known otherwise. Bravo, Rachel Ward, bravo. 

The Author

Ewald Arenz was born in Nuremberg in 1965, studied English, American literature and history, and now works as a teacher at a grammar school. His novels and plays
have received numerous awards. Tasting Sunlight was longlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, shortlisted for the German Booksellers Best Novel Award, and featured on the Spiegel bestseller lists in both hardback and paperback for months. In the UK, it was a BBC World Book Club pick. One Grand Summer won the German Booksellers Prize in 2021,and was a number one bestseller in Germany. Ewald lives with his family near Fürth.