Love, If That's What It Is

I was drawn to pick up Love, If That's What It Is on spotting that this novel was translated by Hester Velmans. I loved her own book, Slipper, which I read a couple of years ago and figured that if Hester appreciated Love, If That's What It Is enough to translate it, there was a good chance that I would like it too. That turned out to be quite an understatement. Love, If That's What It Is is profound, insightful, and so powerfully real that I frequently forgot I was reading a fictional novel, feeling instead as though I were voyeuristically witnessing these lives unravel before me. There are similarities in theme and impact, I think, to my favourite Anne Tyler book, Ladder Of Years, with Schermer so vividly portraying the whole family's reactions to Terri's bid for what she perceives as freedom.

I was gripped by how well Schermer understands all her characters, their fears as well as their desires, both of which are equally strong drivers of the family members' behaviours. Her taking us inside each person's thoughts allowed me to constantly revise my opinions on how and why 'the disaster' came about because it is obviously not the clear-cut scenario that we first encounter. Over the course of the year in which Love, If That's What It Is takes place, my impressions of the true victims and villains in this tale fluctuated as I understood more about how everyone's past choices influenced their present situation. This is not a happy relationship story, although it is certainly not all dark despair either, but instead gives readers an opportunity to explore their own feelings about what really constitutes love. I'd recommend everybody who appreciates character-driven novels to put Love, If That's What It Is right at the top of their TBR lists today!