by Rosie Walsh, Pan Macmillan
The man who didn’t call (UK) / Ghosted (USA)
by Rosie Walsh, Pan Macmillan
The first impression is to read an ordinary love story, but it can be possible to notice almost immediately that it is something different, more intimate and more fleeting.
Everything starts on a country road, during a hot day in June, Sarah and Eddie know each other by chance, fall in love and hang out together for a single week, seven perfect, unique and unrepeatable days. Their love blossoms immediately, suddenly, they do nothing to stem this feeling, enjoy every moment and leave with the promise of see each other again. Nothing seems to hinder this love, born on the edge of a painful memory, Sarah trusts her feelings, but above all, she trusts Eddie.
So, why after one, two or three weeks Eddie doesn’t show up and doesn’t answer her messages?
Sarah cannot believe she has done such a big mistake, their feelings were true from both sides, she’s sure. Everything is against her, destiny, friends, relatives, everyone advise her to let it go and forget the bad experience. Instead Sarah in the depths of her heart feels that there is another truth, maybe something has happened and Eddie can’t come back to her. She is sure she’s right.
So she decides to look for her lover scanning her few memories and the few information she has. Sarah is sure that there is a valid reason for Eddie’s behavior that justifies his choice to exclude her from his life.
Every memory is sifted and analyzed, reliving every moment spent together slowly, between a conjecture and another, Sarah comes to head, emerges the suspicion of a terrible secret.
A sharp pain takes possession of Sarah, she loves Eddie hopelessly, with him she has understood the taste of pure happiness, simple gestures that have filled her heart and allowed her to understand the meaning of love. Now Sarah questions everything, her present, her past, relives her childhood memories, her youth, revaluates her choices, her marriage, family relationships and losses. A backward journey that gives her the courage to look ahead, overcome her fears and believe in this relationship opposed by everyone and fight for her love.
Abnormal story, not easily classifiable. A singular surprising plot. The story is well calibrated, characters are credible, flashbacks and the introspective nature of the novel are very moving. True.
The structure convinces, like the rhythm, intense and flowing. The reader feels catapulted into this mysterious story, from which he can easily draw many ideas to think about. Even if everything is about the disappearance of a character, nothing is as it seems in this soft psychological thriller that digs in the characters’ souls to get their essence and secrets.
More romantic than love story, because here nothing is taken for granted, love between Sarah and Eddie must be conquered, it is forced to overcome painful, courageous trials, because happiness is at hand, where all began, and where destiny has made them meet again.
Enjoyed a lot! Recommended by Katja.
Plot
Imagine you meet a man, spend seven glorious days together, and fall in love. And it’s mutual: you’ve never been so certain of anything.
So when he leaves for a long-booked holiday and promises to call from the airport, you have no cause to doubt him.
But he doesn’t call.
Your friends tell you to forget him, but you know they’re wrong: something must have happened; there must be a reason for his silence.
What do you do when you finally discover you’re right? That there is a reason – and that reason is the one thing you didn’t share with each other?
The truth.
Author
Rosie Walsh lives in Bristol with her partner and their son. Under the pseudonym Lucy Robinson, Rosie blogged for Marie Claire about love and dating, and published four novels in the UK. The Man Who Didn’t Call is the first novel under her own name.
