Not only the cover is a beauty, but the novel itself is it too. It was very easy to get back into the life and love of Holly and Gerry. To feel all the emotions she is going through, the questions she is asking herself and how she deals with the loss of her husband. One of the few books written by the author, that made me cry in the end.
Postscript-Was Ich Dir Noch Sagen Möchte*
by Cecelia AhernP.S. I Love You #2
Translation Christine Strüh
Original Title Postscript
Publisher Fischer Krüger on October 23, 2019
Genre Novel
Pages 426
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher
Goodreads
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Seven years ago, Holly Kennedy´s beloved husband Gerry died. He has left some letters to her, which have accompanied her into a new life. Holly is addressed by a group of terminally ill people. Inspired by Gerry´s story, they also want to leave messages to their loved ones. Holly does not want to be withdrawn into the past – but as she begins to help the members of the “P.S. I Love You-Club”, it becomes clear: we can all find meaning and carry the love on.
Story
Holly wants to do her sister a favor and speaks about the time when she was following her late husbands’ letters and did what he asked her to do in those letters. The podcast will change her life because one terminally ill lady wants her to join her “P.S. I Love You-Club”. Holly is not happy about that because, for her, her time with Gerry is over. Not in a bad way, but she´s moved on with her life. At least that is, how she sees it. But what if Gerry´s intention with his letters was a completely different one than she had thought?
Style
Cecelia Ahern´s style is sensitive, emotional, touching, and can be if the author wants it, heartbreaking. There is a style in it, I haven´t found in other novels. Ahern´s way to touch you, to build sentences, and to play with her figures, and the setting is simply said amazing. Alone the scenes at the table with Holly´s family. I laughed sometimes tears while reading them. And again, the author has kept her style soft, easy to read, and with some hope between the pages. No matter how sad the story becomes during some scenes, there was always a bit hope in it and that life does not end for those who are left behind when a family member dies. I feel connected with Holly and this novel and especially the parts where Holly is in dialogue with Gerry and we go back into the past where he is still alive. That was just beautiful.
Characters
Holly has moved on. Yes, she still lives in the same house she bought together with Gerry but that is nothing she considers a bad thing. After more than six years she is in a new relationship with Gabriel (that name confused me at the beginning of the novel) and plans a happy and bright future with him. What I found very remarkable was the fact, that Holly was not even aware of the fact, that she was not done at all with her old life with Gerry and that she, although she was in a new relationship, never had thought about how it would be for her to literally cut all ties to her old life and marriage.
The inner conflict she goes through after she realizes and kind of regrets the podcast, is shown in a very sensitive and harmonic way by Cecelia Ahern. I wish we could have more of Holly.
Conclusion
What a beautiful and heartbreaking novel. I needed many tissues while reading and, in the end, I was in a very emotional state. Cecelia Ahern once again managed it to touch me in a very special way. Highly recommended.
Happy reading
*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer Krüger in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.
Deutsche Rezension
Stil
Auf ihre unvergleichliche Art hat Cecelia Ahern es erneut geschafft, mir die Tränen in die Augen zu treiben. Irgendwann während des Lesens sind die nur noch so geflossen und es mussten einige Taschentücher dran glauben. Die feinfühlige, sanfte Art, mit der die Autorin ihre Geschichte über die Protagonistin Holly schreibt und in Szene setzt, das hat schon was. Emotionen werden in diesem Buch großgeschrieben und das nicht nur bei Holly.Die Essensszenen mit ihren Eltern und Geschwistern – ich hab mich sofort wieder daheim gefühlt. Aber auch die Weise, wie Holly sich während der Aufnahme des Podcasts fühlt und was mit ihr gefühlsmäßig passiert lange nachdem diese online gestellt und angeklickt wurde. Wie Holly mit den sich daraus ergebenden Situationen umgeht, wie sie an dem, was sich daraus entwickelt wächst und praktisch nach vielen Jahren ihren verstorbenen Mann wieder in ihr Leben lässt, das war berührend und wunderschön zu lesen.
Charaktere
Holly ist in ihrem neuen Leben ohne Gerry angekommen. Zwar lebt sie noch im gleichen Haus wie damals, aber sie hat wieder einen Freund, arbeitet und ist glücklich. Den Podcast macht sie nur ihrer Schwester zuliebe und die daraus resultierenden Ereignisse sind ihr alles andere als lieb. Sie will nicht in die Vergangenheit zurück, sondern ihre Zukunft mit ihrem Freund gestalten. Aber das eine scheint ohne das andere nicht möglich zu sein. Und dass ihr Freund mit der neuen Situation nicht gut umgehen kann, das ist für Holly auch nicht schön.Die Weise wie Cecelia Ahern den inneren Konflikt von Holly präsentiert und zeigt, wie sie die Dinge dann auf ihre ganz eigene Art zu lösen versucht, ist absolut gelungen. Da ist viel Sensibilität im Raum, verletzte Gefühle, Trauer und dazwischen steht überall die Hoffnung.
Resultat
Ein Roman der mich von Anfang bis Ende begeistert hat. Mit ihren leisen Tönen versteht es die Autorin hervorragend, den Leser in eine ganz eigene Welt zu entführen und ganz ohne kitschige Elemente auszukommen. Höchst empfehlenswert.
Cecelia Ahern
Cecelia Ahern was born and grew up in Dublin. She is now published in nearly fifty countries and has sold over twenty-four million copies of her novels worldwide. Two of her books have been adapted as films and she has created several TV series. She and her books have won numerous awards, including the Irish Book Award for Popular Fiction for The Year I Met You. She lives in Dublin with her family.
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