The American Lover

English author Rose Tremain, writer of the award-winning The Road Home and Music & Silence, returns with a book of short stories titled The American Lover.

Heartbreak, loss and sexual awakenings seem to be the themes running through this brilliantly written, yet rather depressing collection. In the opening story The American Lover, a woman admits she has never been able to get over an affair she had with an older man when she was 19, while Captive follows with the disturbing tale of how a man’s plan to run an ethical kennel goes horribly wrong.

Saddest of all is probably A View Of Lake Superior In The Fall, which sees a couple move to a lake house in Canada in a misguided attempt to find happiness.

The Jester Of Astapovo details the last few days of Tolstoy’s life and The Housekeeper sees Daphne du Maurier embark on an affair with a housekeeper.

Tremain proves she is incredibly skilled at making the reader become attached to characters within just a few pages with acute observations of human behaviour.