Intriguing read from Kate Atkinson
Book: Life after Life Author: Kate Atkinson Reviewed by: Natasha Kotze Rating: Intriguing

Kate Atkinson weaves a profound, Groundhog Day-ish tale about second chances in Life after Life.
The book follows Ursula Todd who lives her life again and again, in order for her to get it right.
Ursula is born during a snow storm in England in 1910. She dies before she can take her first breath. The clock resets and it starts again,
Ursula is born during a snow storm in England in 1910. But this time she lives.
This pattern stays with her as she lives and lives again, getting the chance to change the direction of her life until she gets it right.
The book tells Ursula’s story as she lives through major events of the 20th century.
Her own personal highs and lows are recounted, then changed as she gets chance upon chance to take different routes and change the course of her own destiny.
Touching, moving and utterly compelling, I could not put this book down.
I was drawn into Ursula’s life, hoping each time that, when things are bleak, they would get better the next time round.
But the book shows that there will always be hard decisions, difficulties we must face, sadness that we can’t avoid and that life isn’t always easy – no matter how many chances we get to do things differently.
This is a powerful, deeply emotional book that will not leave the reader unmoved.