Wednesday 22 September 2021

Book Review: A Single Rose by Muriel Barbery



A new day, a new book review and today it is for Muriel Barbery's A Single Rose. This is Muriel's eight book and she is well known for her story, The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Read on for my full review.

 

REVIEW



Following the death of Rose's Father, she travels to Japan to have his will read. Rose has never met her mysterious father, Haru; she only knows that he is Japanese and wealthy. And now she discovers that he has arranged for her to stay at his home, and to be taken to various Buddhist temples and gardens. Her Father's old assistant Paul is determined to make her feel as welcome and comfortable as possible as they make their way around Japan. Slowly as Rose meets more people and visits places her Father knew intimately, she begins to learn more about her undiscovered heritage. As the reading of the will gets closer, she starts to feel her Father's heart open up to her offering her a poignant understanding of his love and a way to accept all she has lost.

When I read The Elegance of the Hedgehog all the way back in the early 2000's it left a lasting impression on me, so when I had the chance to read Muriel's latest story, I couldn't pass it up.

A Single Rose is a very beautiful and eloquent story that didn't fail to transport me to the beauty that is Japan. Japan is a country I have always had a desire to visit and Muriel truly captured some of it's beauty in this story. With Zen parables to begin each chapter felt poignant and intertwined nature, history, and modern life.

In summary, A Single Rose was a bittersweet story mixed in with some humour as we meet Rose's guides along the way and overall a story of love.



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