Life after Life by Kate Atkinson

I loved the concept of this book, one life lived over and over again.  In reality, it got a bit monotonous when I knew that each segment of Ursula Todd's life would end in her death and rebirth.  No surprise there, but it became a matter of wanting the little stories to hurry up so I could get to the details of how her life would end this time.

It's a game that I'm sure many of us play at various times.  What if I had done this instead of that.  What if I'd gotten off the highway one stop sooner, had left for work five minutes earlier, had gone to a different university.  Some of them are small, seeming inconsequential choices, and others are huge.  Author Kate Atkinson makes it interesting to consider the impact of these choices, such as turning one way on a street moments before a bomb is dropped.   Playing the game captures my interest for a few minutes, but if it stretches on too long, I get lost in the possibilities, that's what happened in this book.  The same person reborn again and again, got boring, too much of the same thing.  I lost my attachment and concern for Ursula.

The main character, Ursula Todd, was born in late 1910 and experienced World War One and World War Two many times.  Her perspective of the war from differing sides was quite illuminating.

I have read several of Ms. Atkinson's books from the Jackson Brodie Series and would highly recommend them.

Author Kate Atkinson's website

Cover image courtesy of RandomHouse Canada.

Jackson Brodie Series:

Case Histories
One Good Turn
When Will there be Good News
Started Early, Took My Dog