Signs of Life - Anna Raverat

Simple on one level yet totally engrossing. Rachel narrates a familiar tale of an affair gone wrong, but brings so much depth and intrigue to the story you really can't put it down.

The reader is taken back and forth across the years as the story unravels and the conclusion is revealed early on, however you are taken on a journey through a series of memories recalled from the mind, diary entries and photographs.Sometimes mis-remembered, hard to recall or sometimes deemed unimportant at the time so not held onto for posterity. On occasion these recollections are twisted, altered slightly which keeps you questioning what really happened and what kind of person she really is. She questions herself on a number of occasions and these moments help to humanise her, bringing her to life.  

These are the moments that are familiar to us all as we try to recall characteristics, incidents and emotions from the past - sometimes with the interference of hindsight, sometimes with the interface of our own vanity or pride.