Absolutely and Forever

Pick it up: If you want a novel about first love (or even love in general), how all consuming the feeling is, and how devastating it can be when it results in heartbreak. And how you can still pick yourself up, gradually, and make a go of life. Your own individual life.

"Absolutely and Forever" by Rose Tremain tackles the theme of first love. The narrative centers on Marianne Clifford, a teenage girl who experiences an intense and formative first love with Simon Hurst. Her love for Simon defines Marianne in ways that feel permanent and to the exclusion of all else. And yet, when circumstances force them to part ways, she is forced to reckon with her life and her future in the absence of the one thing she always wanted. Marianne's voice and view of life and the world is singular and compelling, as is her relationship with her parents to whom she is generally a disappointment. The 1960s setting provides a rich backdrop for the story, capturing the shifting social dynamics and the emerging sense of personal liberation for women. I enjoyed the deep dive into Marianne's inner world, her vulnerabilities, her desires, and her evolving sense of self.