Afterwards

The new novel, another remarkable story of the complexities of guilt and moral responsibility from the Booker-shortlisted author of The Dark Room and FIeld Study."Utterly authentic... Afterwards [achieves] a coiling suspense-driven more by psychology than by circumstance.” - The New York Times BookWhen Alice and Joseph meet, they fall quickly into a tentative but sincere relationship. She is a nurse, and he a house painter, and while both are still young and hopeful about this new love, each of them carries an emotional burden. Alice’s father has been a yawning absence all her life, and just recently her beloved grandmother—who helped to raise her-passed away. For his part, Joseph refuses to speak about his experiences as a soldier in Northern Ireland, and Alice suspects that his general reticence hides an even more deeply troubled past. “Understated and offering no easy answers to the dilemmas it raises, Afterwards delves into how violence and trauma affect our ability to love. If relevance is what you look for in fiction, you need look no further... Thought-provoking.” - The Los Angeles TimesIn this powerful story of guilt and privacy, Rachel Seiffert asks: To love someone, must you know everything about them? The new novel, another remarkable story of the complexities of guilt and moral responsibility, from the Booker-shortlisted author of The Dark Room and Field StudyTo love someone, need you know everything about them? When Alice and Joseph meet, they fall quickly into a tentative but serious relationship. She is a nurse, he a painter and decorator; both are still young and hopeful of each other, but each brings with them an emotional burden. Alice's father has been a yawning absence all her life, and her beloved grandmother - who helped raise her - has recently died. For his part, Joseph refuses to speak about his army experiences in Northern Ireland and Alice suspects that his general reticence hides an even more deeply troubled past. When her widowed grandfather begins to tell Joseph about his own RAF experiences in l950s Kenya - stories he had shared only with his wife - something still raw is tapped in Joseph; his reaction to the older man's unburdening of guilt is both unexpected and devastating for them all. Morally complex, understated, and powerfully moving, Afterwards confirms Rachel Seiffert's remarkable talent. To love someone, need you know everything about them? When Alice and Joseph meet, they fall quickly into a tentative but serious relationship. Both are still young and hopeful of each other, but each brings with them an emotional burden. Alice's family is full of absences and Joseph harbours an unspeakable secret from his time in the army in Northern Ireland. When Alice's widowed grandfather begins to tell Joseph about his RAF experiences in 1950s Kenya, something still raw is tapped in Joseph; his reaction to the older man's unburdening of guilt is both unexpected and devastating for them all.