THE PLOT: ‘Love After Love’ by Ingrid Persaud is a literary, character-driven novel about an unlikely family in Trinidad that is shattered by a secret. Betty Ramdin, her shy son Solo, and their lodger, Mr Chetan, form an unconventional household. All misfits, their home becomes a place of safety from the outside world, a place of intense love. But when a terrible secret explodes the family unit, they all go their separate ways with disastrous consequences. Throughout it all Betty nurtures hope that forgiveness is possible and their enduring love will bring them all back together.

SUMMARY:  This is a beautifully written novel that will keep you thinking about it long after it’s finished. Told in three POVs, with super-short chapters, it’s highly engaging and manages to pull you into each characters’ perspective. By using patois and phonetically spelling words, the narration mirrors speech and it’s almost like each character is telling their own story to a diary. With themes of spousal abuse, self-harm, and mental health struggles, this isn’t a book for the faint hearted. But it’s an extremely rewarding examination of love in many forms.

GOOD BITS: This novel is all about the characters and they pull you in with such emotion. My favourite character was Mr Chetan and I found his story extremely compelling. I winced during the more difficult moments of his relationships (no spoilers), but his actions felt realistic and relatable. I also liked how many different forms of love were depicted, particularly the importance of friendship. The interactions between Betty and all of her friends, including Mr Chetan, were so nuanced and well-observed.

NOT SO GOOD BITS: I know this is a central part of the book, but I just could not vibe with Solo’s lack of empathy for his mother. Although I tried to put myself in his position, his stubbornness frustrated me. I do understand that maybe it’s a sign of his father’s characteristics coming out in him, and he has his own mental health struggles that compound his failure to listen. However, I couldn’t stop screaming “call your mother, you ungrateful boy”.

OVERALL: I’d recommend this book to fans of ‘The Island of Forgetting’ by Jasmine Sealey, ‘Patsy’ by Nicole Dennis Benn, and ‘Real Life’ by Brandon Taylor. If you like character-driven novels about mental health and relationships, this is one for you.

This book is available to buy with a discount on my bookshop.org account.