Back in the long-ago nineties, Rachel Walsh was a mess.
But a spell in rehab transformed everything. Life became very good, very quickly. These days, Rachel has love, family, a great job as an addiction counsellor, she even gardens. Her only bad habit is a fondness for expensive trainers.
But with the sudden reappearance of a man she’d once loved, her life wobbles.
She’d thought she was settled. Fixed forever. Is she about to discover that no matter what our age, everything can change?
Is it time to think again, Rachel?
Marian Keyes is a phenomenon. The multi-million copy, internationally bestselling author of some of the most widely loved, genre-defying novels of the past thirty years – such as Anybody Out There and Grown Ups – has amassed millions of fans around the world, including this fan. Whenever I pick up a Marian Keyes book, I know an excellent story is guaranteed. For years, readers have been irresistibly drawn in by her warmth and wit, fearless honesty, relatable characters and sheer storytelling magic. Nigella Lawson had it right when she described Keyes books as ‘A balm for the soul.’
Almost twenty-five years ago, Keyes penned her iconic novel, Rachel’s Holiday. The book became a massive hit with Rachel and the Walsh family becoming some of Keyes’ most beloved characters to date. Now Keyes returns with the highly anticipated sequel, Again, Rachel, and it’s everything we hoped for and more.
Set twenty years after the events of Rachel’s Holiday, Again, Rachel is an absolute triumph. When we meet Rachel at the start of the novel, she’s in a very good place, working as an addiction counsellor at Cloisters, the clinic that once saved her. But after a surprise reappearance from her ex, Luke, things turn on their head, forcing Rachel to re-evaluate some painful truths about her past.
As always, Keyes’ character work is outstanding; Rachel is a funny, wise and vulnerable heroine whom you can’t help but love. Over the years, I’ve come to know each of the Walsh family members in Keyes’ novels so seeing them reappear here felt like spending time with old friends.
Like her previous works, Keyes deftly tackles a range of thought-provoking issues in Again, Rachel, including addiction, recovery, depression and grief. Keyes is incisive without ever being overbearing, and she approaches these touchy topics with great sensitivity and plenty of laughs. As you read this novel, you’ll laugh, cry and experience every emotion in between.
Brimming with humour and warmth, this is a hugely compassionate story that will appeal to both new and old fans of Keyes. With Again, Rachel, Keyes cements her reputation as the undisputed queen of contemporary women’s fiction.
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