SYNOPSIS:
She could be the girl dancing on tables one night, and the next she'd be hiding in the shadows.
Just when I thought I understood her, she would melt away and become a completely new person, and I'd have to start all over again.
That's how it was with Anna.
Nick and Anna work the same summer job at their local cinema. Anna is mysterious, beautiful, and from a very different world to Nick.
She's grown up preparing for the end of days, in a tightly-controlled existence where Christmas, getting drunk and sex before marriage are all off-limits.
So when Nick comes into her life, Anna falls passionately in love. Their shared world burns with poetry and music, cigarettes and conversation - hints of the people they hope to become.
But Anna, on the cusp of adulthood, is afraid to give up everything she's ever believed in, and everyone she's ever loved. She walks away, and Nick doesn't stop her.
Years later, a tragedy draws Anna back into Nick's life.
But rekindling their relationship leaves Anna and Nick facing a terrible choice between a love that's endured decades, and the promises they've made to others along the way.
MY THOUGHTS:
This is a book that you just want to keep on reading. The writing flows so beautifully alternating between several timelines. Nick is the perfect protagonist, he is loyal, brave, a protector and yet he is not without his faults. Nick seems to be the glue that holds his family together and is challenged on so many levels yet somehow he remains strong and stable, putting the needs of others first.
Nick has a complicated relationship with his family, he adores his mother, respects his father and is committed to protecting his younger brother. His father is a domineering presence who doesn't always treat his family with the love and attention they deserve. He comes across as harsh and emotionally void. In contrast, Nick's mother showers her boys with love and they cherish those times together when it is just the three of them. However, one fateful day they lose their mother and their world comes crashing down.
Nick's relationship with Anna is also very complicated, whilst they enjoy time together it is always hidden from plain sight as Anna is not allowed to be associated with someone like Nick. Instead their meetings are on borrowed time and behind hidden doors which actually romanticizes their relationship. Anna is full of life and thought, communicating her feelings freely to Nick, he in turns keeps his emotions in check never truly letting on how much Anna means to him. As life takes the two of them on different paths they somehow find themselves face to face with much still left unspoken between them. Can they ever rekindle their relationship or has that ship sailed one too many times already?
What I loved about this book was that it wasn't just another love story, it was so much more. The characters and their situations were both very realistic. This could be the story of your best friend or the person down the road. Life does get in the way and can be very unforgiving. Nick is a survivor, he looks for an easy life as the pain is still raw from all that has come before. I completely get why he wouldn't want to add complication and confusion by getting involved with or pursuing Anna, her world and his are one of juxtaposition and would not come together without more pain and suffering. To allow yourself happiness after years of sadness is a very hard thing to do and so Nick builds a wall around himself, one where he is content and with no surprises, he plods on as he has always tried to do.
I found Anna's situation very intriguing and could see how torn she was. A passionate, headstrong young lady who knows that in order to follow her heart she will have to leave everything, including those she loves, behind. An emotional internal battle with no one to turn to for support. This is such a character driven novel and I couldn't help but sympathise with all of them, they all had their faults and demons and were all trying to cope in the only way they knew how. A very thought-provoking novel and I will miss reading about Nick, Anna, Sal and the other characters.
Another Life sucked me in, took me on one hell of a journey, broke my heart a few times and was a beautiful read. A book I urge you to read this summer, simply breathtaking.