This is a gentle and scholarly book. It starts with Malcolm collecting his niece, just before her parents are killed in an accident. He has a letter that he has been asked to deliver, but for valid reasons he doesn’t until 50 years later.. This book explores different types of love, bereavement especially at a young age and the myriad of things that contribute to our priorities in life. Some readers may find it a bit preachy as the characters self analyse themselves and their feelings, however the beautiful writing and generous and so very human characters make up for that in my mind. It is the sort of book that makes you sit and ponder, would you have done the things they did, especially in relation to the letter. The aftermath of the fallout from the contents of the letter was handled very well. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to read and offer an honest review of.

Compelling story with a main character you can see develop over the course of the story. We can feel emotions of the characters and want to see them succeed at a fundamental level.

This was an interesting book. I am not really a huge fan of collections of short story’s. But this one was well done. It definitely makes you think and the storyline was very interesting.

"Interpretations of Love" by Jane Campbell is a thought-provoking and evocative collection of short stories that delves into the myriad ways love manifests in our lives. Through a series of poignant and diverse narratives, Campbell invites readers to explore the complexities, nuances, and contradictions of this universal human experience.

Campbell's writing is exquisite and lyrical, weaving together rich tapestries of emotion and insight with each story. From the tender ache of first love to the bittersweet pang of loss, the author captures the essence of love in all its forms, offering readers a glimpse into the hearts and minds of her characters with grace and empathy.

At the heart of "Interpretations of Love" are the myriad ways in which love can shape and define us. Through her characters' experiences, Campbell explores themes of passion, longing, sacrifice, and redemption, painting a vivid portrait of the human condition and the transformative power of love.

What sets "Interpretations of Love" apart is its ability to capture the universal truths of love while also celebrating its infinite diversity. Campbell's stories span genres, time periods, and cultural backgrounds, offering readers a rich and varied tapestry of human experience that reflects the complexity of love itself.

While each story in "Interpretations of Love" stands on its own, together they form a cohesive and deeply resonant whole. Campbell's keen insight into the human psyche allows her to craft characters that feel authentic and relatable, their struggles and triumphs mirroring those of real-life individuals grappling with the complexities of love and relationships.

In conclusion, "Interpretations of Love" is a masterful exploration of love in all its forms—a poignant and evocative journey that will linger in the hearts and minds of readers long after they've turned the final page. Jane Campbell's exquisite prose, rich characterizations, and keen understanding of the human condition make this collection a must-read for anyone who has ever loved, lost, or longed for love's embrace.

It's an interesting book, I'm not too sure what to make of it.

I like the idea behind it, different perspectives or a large extended family organised around some family events, dealing with some complicated dynamics and interesting characters.

However, I felt as though the book got a bit too cerebral at times. The author is obviously interested in Freud and psychoanalysis, but at points this is over-explained and feels a bit tedious. I think some of these ideas, like Oedipus-Elektra concept, would be better explored without so much overt examination. All the characters spend so much time reflecting on their own subconscious that it feels like a textbook at points.

This detracts from what is otherwise a fairly interesting story.

Thank you Net Galley and Jane Campbell for my ebook.

Agnes lost her adored parents to a car crash when she was four years old. She will never stop missing her mother’s love. Malcolm, Agnes’s young uncle wants only to love and care for his little niece but he has a secret and he is never sure when to reveal it.
Joe, an older man, also lost his mother at an early age and he, too, will always miss the love he shared with her. Joe is a psychiatrist whom Agnes had consulted during the troubled years of her marriage and he still feels a deep, unexplained, connection to his former patient.

This beautiful story of different interpretations of love is told in alternating chapters by the three main characters. It shows how their lives have been shaped from their earliest experiences, the decisions they have made and the relationships they have formed; their successes and failures. There is sweetness and sadness in all of their lives. They eventually achieve degrees of happiness in their own ways which made me happy as I had come to love them all.

I highly recommend Interpretations of Love to readers of literary fiction. I think I could go on reading Robin Campbell’s elegant prose for ever!

Published by Grove Press, New York

Interpretations of love is a novel that describes how tragedy at a young age can affect the life of a person until the end. How we cope with life’s circumstances and the understanding of how it can affect others is important in order to survive it in peace and hopefully happiness if there is one.

Agnes is an independent woman marked by the tragedy of losing both her parents at a young age, her first son later in life and a failed marriage.

Malcom is her uncle whose life is changed after his sister’s death. He never recovered from it and always felt guilty by the decisions he made in his life.

Joe, unknown to him is related to Agnes and Malcom. His life is also marked by the loss of his mother at a young age. He believes himself connected to Agnes for his wrong reasons without understanding what is really happening.

They all become entangled among other characters in this heartbreaking novel that will leave you with reflective insights about the importance of forgiveness and priorities at the end of our lives.

I just reviewed Interpretations of Love by Jane Campbell. #InterpretationsofLove #NetGalley

Malcolm's sister is killed in a car accident along with her husband. Malcolm was taking care of their daughter, Agnes, at the time of the accident. His two regrets: leaving Agnes to his parents immediately after the accident and, more significantly, keeping a letter that his sister gave him to himself despite her last wishes. The letter was for Joe, a person that Sophie believes is Agnes's biological father. The story unfolds as the family navigates life and loss, taking risks and avoiding them. This is an easy read and the story moves along. However, I felt somewhat ambivalent about the characters and I wasn't sure exactly what to feel. For some reason, it didn't resonate with me.

A group of people gather to celebrate a wedding, not knowing that they are all connected by a single event that happened decades prior in the aftermath of World War 2. Each chapter is told from the pov of one of the people going to the event. It's an interesting premise and one of the strengths of the novel. Some of the drawbacks are that the novel seems a bit overwritten, to the point that several of the characters sounded exactly alike to me. I also was uncomfortable about the 'secret' kept by Mally and how knowing the secret made me see other characters (generally, not in a good way).

Far too dry, long-winded, and boring as the main character speaks his story. I wanted so much to hear more about his sister, and then his niece. But it went on and on from the boring POV. DNF

The cover is my favorite part of the book. Very well done. Unfortunately, the contents was lacking for me. I got so far into it and did not finish. It failed to gain my interest or draw me in.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

The book begins with Malcom Miller telling the story of the deaths of his sister and her husband and how their only daughter, Alice, was left behind. Agnes's mother gave Malcolm a letter before she died, asking her to give it to Dr. Joseph Bradshaw. It seems that Bradshaw is Agnes's father, conceived in a shelter on a night of bombing in London.
In a strange twist of fate, Bradshaw becomes Agnes's therapist many years later, both of them unaware of the connection as Malcolm never passed on the letter. As all the characters converge for the daughter of Agnes's wedding, we hear the thought, fears, secrets and doubts of each of them.

The writing here is brilliant. It is absolutely beautiful, and Campell is able to draw vivid scenes that resonate with the reader. However, the prose is thick with minimum dialogue, the emotion and angst is unending, and this reviewer found it difficult to keep up with which character was now telling the story. At times I felt as if I were just slogging through, but a few pages on my imagination was captured and I was again immersed in the story. This is difficult one to review, but overall I did not enjoy it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it had everything that I was hoping for in a historical fiction novel. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed about the genre. Jane Campbell does a great job in creating this world and the characters within, and I never felt like this wasn’t the time-period set.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I wont lie, I picked this book out because of the cover. I just loved it - the cover that is

I read this over Xmas and absolutely loved it. I was hooked from page 1
Such a wonderful debut offering
Can't wait to see what they come up with next

Highly recommend this

Chose this book by mistake, confusing the cover for another book with a similar cover.

Therefore, won't be reviewing this title, but will give it five stars here because of its spectacular cover.