A review by silverliningsandpages
A Single Rose by Muriel Barbery

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A Single Rose by Muriel Barbery, translated by Alison Anderson, charmed me so much that I considered immediately reading it all over again!

It was a slow starter though, as I initially couldn’t warm to the austere and abrasive protagonist Rose who is visiting Japan to hear the reading of her estranged father’s will.  However, as the story develops and she allows flashes of her vulnerability to seep through her defences, the stunningly evocative writing becomes less distant. I found myself completely gripped by this intimate, emotional story of grief and second chance love.  I have a weakness for those themes! This is a deeply symbolic, hopeful portrait of nature’s healing powers but also a beguiling love song to Japan