Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson


Ursula Todd was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, blue, with no life in her body. Ursula Todd was born in the presence of a doctor who was able to cut the cord around her neck, saving the life of the baby already turning blue. Ursula died when the waves collapsed over her and her sister. Ursula was rescued on the beach by an artist who observed the two young girls in the water and was able to rescue the younger from a horrible fate. Countless births, countless deaths for Ursula. Ursula has no idea why she has these feelings of dread. She has no idea why she has memories of things that never happened. Dreams of a future she has yet to experience? From her birth in the winter of 1910 through her numerous deaths, Ursula experiences life and all the different roads one may take through history.
                Life After Life was an extremely engaging, original novel about Ursula Todd, an English girl born to a middle class family in England. She is the third child born to the Todd family and referred to as an inquisitive old soul. Therapy at one point was considered necessary by her parents, to find out why she was having these bouts of what they considered déjà vu. Certain unprovoked events that happened throughout Ursula's life also assisted in her parents decision to seek help. She couldn’t explain what she didn’t understand. She wasn’t trying to kill the maid when she pushed her down the stairs. Ursula just had a horrible feeling that if she left tragedy would fall on the family. Instances where she was filled with this overwhelming fear haunted her most of her life. How can one gain understanding in this situation? 

                Atkinson delivered with this novel. I heard great things about this novel before I finally gave in and decided to give it a go. I was not disappointed. The concept of someone continuously reliving their life was extremely interesting and I was very curious how it could be executed. Ursula dies and yet she lives. The circumstances that allow her to live change through each life experience. The ages and lifespans she experiences changes. The storylines were full of depth and continually changing to reflect the change in Ursula's life. How her life changes impacts everyone around her and changes the course of their history as well. This novel was all about how one life can impact others. How everyday decisions change the lives of many. The imagery used to describe her life was amazing and extremely vivid. I was instantly invested and intrigued by the story. There were a few things I wish had been done differently mostly because my curiosity definitely got the better of me and I wanted answers to all the questions I had. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and give it 4 out of 5 stars. If you want to read an interesting novel with a historical element and original concept give Life After Life a try. 

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