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A review by kaz14
Life After Truth by Ceridwen Dovey
3.0
"... she knew in her bones that they would never miss another reunion again, not for as long as they lived. It was like being let into Narnia through the magic wardrobe once more, or taking the train on platform 9¾ to Hogwarts."
Five close friends, and ex dormmates, return to Harvard for their 15 year reunion. Set over the course of one long weekend, and told in the third person with each chapter focusing on different members of the group of five, the organised and spontaneous gatherings offer situations to rekindle relationships, prompt memory and elicit much soul searching. Having never attended a reunion event, for school or either of the two universities I have graduated from, the concept and appeal is alien to me. That said, the reunion provides a unique environment for Dovey, an ex Harvard graduate herself, to explore the soon to be middle aged characters as they revisit their failures and their triumphs, and generally evaluate the lives they have lived and the paths they have, or have not taken. Throw in a couple of other characters, including a much hated American president's son and some AI and there is actually a lot to unpack in this novel which is character driven, very well written, and easy to read. While I enjoyed Life After Truth it did not quite live up to the expectations set by my previous encounter with this author's work, in particular In the Garden of the Fugitives.
Five close friends, and ex dormmates, return to Harvard for their 15 year reunion. Set over the course of one long weekend, and told in the third person with each chapter focusing on different members of the group of five, the organised and spontaneous gatherings offer situations to rekindle relationships, prompt memory and elicit much soul searching. Having never attended a reunion event, for school or either of the two universities I have graduated from, the concept and appeal is alien to me. That said, the reunion provides a unique environment for Dovey, an ex Harvard graduate herself, to explore the soon to be middle aged characters as they revisit their failures and their triumphs, and generally evaluate the lives they have lived and the paths they have, or have not taken. Throw in a couple of other characters, including a much hated American president's son and some AI and there is actually a lot to unpack in this novel which is character driven, very well written, and easy to read. While I enjoyed Life After Truth it did not quite live up to the expectations set by my previous encounter with this author's work, in particular In the Garden of the Fugitives.