Rosie Dunne (aka Where Rainbows End) aka by Cecelia Ahern

Synopsis :

Rosie and Alex are destined for each other, and everyone seems to know it but them. Best friends since childhood, by the age of seventeen the two are just starting to see each other in a romantic light when Alex’s family relocates from Dublin to Boston. Rosie and Alex plan to reunite in the US, but a twist of fate changes Rosie’s future plans forever.

Like two ships always passing in the night, Rosie and Alex stay friends and though years pass, and weddings, funerals and baptisms take place, the two remain firmly attached via emails and letters. Heartbroken, they learn to live without each other. But destiny is a funny thing, and in this novel of several missed opportunities, Rosie and Alex learn that fate isn’t done with them quite yet.

This is one of my favourite book and the first book by Cecelia Ahern that I read way back in year 2006. I wasn’t sure I would like it but you can say I immediately fell in love with Rosie, Alex, Katie, Ruby, Ms Casey and the other characters that are so important in Rosie’s life and impacted her so much.

‘Missed opportunities’ is the key theme in this novel. Rosie and Alex could be together but due to many missed opportunities throughout their lives, they ended up with other people and only remain friends, very good friends.

The writing is typical Cecelia’s style with lots of humour thrown in, sadness injected in between, anger and wrath making appearances here and there. You laugh with Rosie and Alex as they exchanged notes in class as 7 year old, you felt Rosie’s disappointment when Alex let her down, you felt her happiness in her letters and emails to Alex and her family and friends and as the years go by and through it all, you felt the love Alex and Rosie have for each other, a love that is there but never mentioned (in seriousness) in any of their communications.

The entire novel (except for the last chapter) is written in epistolary structure in the form of letters, emails, instant messages, chat messages, notes, etc. If this is written a couple of years later, the author would have to incorporate Facebook, twitters and other social media in the structure. That would be neat!

Rosie Dunne was subsequently published as Where Rainbows End. I read this book for the second time for this review and I’ll probably read it again one of these days. It’s a keeper.  You should get a copy too.

Update : November 2014...a film adaption from this book entitled Love, Rosie was released in October 2014. I can't wait to watch it.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Original Work of Fiction - A Battle Lost and Won

A battle lost and won I’ve loved and lost I’ve loved and won Such is the conclusion I came to in my battle in this simple but  complicated feelings called love. Going back in time to more than twenty odd years ago seems like a lifetime away  but yet, feels also just like yesterday I’ve loved hard and deep and when I let go of that love, I thought my world ended Well, I was wrong.   My world didn’t end.  It was a chapter of my life that came to an end and since then I  have written many more chapters. But time and again, I find myself revisiting that time The time when I thought I’ve loved and lost I was twenty four and he was thirty one I was young and naïve and he was the man of the world I was intrigued by him, he was captivated by me The girl who drank Jack Daniels and knew about war aircrafts  and read about espionages. He introduced me to stuff unknown to me and taught me golf and how to have confidence in myself The girl
Read more

Book Fair - 2nd Time Around Used Books

Image
advertisement in local newspaper 2nd Time Around Used Books, a company that sells second hand books inported from the USA, is currently having a 'mega sales' in Kuching.  Called 'Book Fair Version 2.0', this is the second year they are organising such sales on a big scale. Starting from  23 July to 7 August , readers in Kuching will have a choice of thousands of titles for children, youth, novels, self help books, etc.  The books are expected to be priced around RM9.90 or slightly more or maybe even less. The organiser is also giving away vouchers for purchases above a certain amount and organising lucky draws and children's contest during this time. Be sure to check them out in Crown Square (or sometimes known as Crown Tower in Jalan Pending) from 10 am - 9 pm for these 2 weeks. I haven't had a chance to go to the sales yet but I bought these last year.  I will go and check them out maybe later today.  See you there.
Read more

Birthright by Nora Roberts

Image
Synopsis : When 5,000-year-old human bones are found at a construction site in the small town of Woodsboro, the news draws archaeologist Callie Dunbrook out of her sabbatical and into a whirlwind of adventure, danger and romance. While overseeing the dig, she must try to make sense of a cloud of death and misfortune that hangs over the project – fueling rumours that the site is cursed. She must also cope with the presence of her irritating – but irresistible – ex-husband, Jake. And when a stranger claims to know a secret about her privileged Boston childhood, she must question her own past as well. If you are familiar with Nora Roberts works such as Montana Sky, Carolina Moon, Angels Fall , then you would have an idea the type of story she turns out. They made good hallmark movies out of these books. Nora Roberts also wrote as JD Robb but that’s another story. Birthright follows similar pattern. Callie is the heroine and the story revolves around her with murders, arson, etc.
Read more