The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the fact that I almost didn’t read it because it bore a Chatelaine Book Club sticker. Life After Life taught me to swallow my pride, dump my prejudices and get back to judging a book by its first sentence, not its cover. This is an addictive, modern epic set in early 20th century England and Germany that elegantly explores how “most people muddle through events and only in retrospect realized their magnitude.” We follow Ursula Todd from birth to death to rebirth to redeath—from war-torn London to WWII Berchtesgaden—as she faces spinsterhood, Hitler, domestic abuse, rape, adultery and murder, with a chance to start over each time she dies. This is a Choose Your Own Adventure novel where the author has chosen for you. You’ll want to re-read it immediately.
This article appears in May 9-15, 2013.