From the time they were children in England during the 1950s, Hannah and Claudia became the best of friends. From girlhood to adulthood, they traveled extremely different lifepaths, ending up in the least of expected places. However, friendship has always tied them together, and the two were always aware of each other until half a century later when Hannah doesn't show up in a planned vacation spot. Everyone expects for Claudia to know where Hannah is, but Claudia, who isn't as close to Hannah as others think, tries to examine all evidence she has to figure out Hannah's destination. But will she be able to do it? And can she figure out the reason for why Hannah abandoned her family this way?
WITHOUT HER by Rosalind Brackenbury is written in an old-movie-style rather than something that is modern-day. Imagine watching old classic movies with a lot of movements, trying to infer the story from those images instead of being told what is going on. . . Claudia and Hannah are extremely complex characters, and because of this, WITHOUT HER deserves a re-read. This isn't a novel that can be devoured quickly, but takes time to comb through the tale it presents to the readers. The plot moves back and forth between the present day when Hannah disappeared to the past, giving readers glimpses and motivations for both of their actions.
If you seek a challenging tale that is sure to give your mind a workout, WITHOUT HER by Rosalind Brackenbury will be just what the doctor ordered.
The author of Becoming George Sand has crafted a “standout novel of a tested friendship . . . highlighted by fine prose and finely drawn characters” (Publishers Weekly).
When her old friend Hannah doesn’t show up at her house in the south of France, everyone assumes that Claudia, who has known Hannah since their shared years at boarding school, will know where she is and what has happened. But as Claudia travels from the United States to France to help her friend’s husband and children conduct their search, she is forced to deal with her old jealousy of Hannah, as well as her own relationship in the present with her French lover, Alexandre. As events unfold, Claudia begins to wonder if Hannah and Alexandre may have had an affair and if that has something to do with Hannah’s mysterious disappearance.
In this exquisitely written, Ferrante-esque novel the question of whether or not Hannah will come back becomes urgent and bewildering. And if she doesn’t return, what will the lives of her friends and family be without her?
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