Rose Tremain

Growing up sheltered from the echoes of World War II, Gustav forges an intense relationship with a mercurial Jewish boy, Anton, a talented pianist who introduces him to the harsh realities of racism, tolerance, and cruelty during a friendship spanning half a century.

The Gustav Sonata

"In the city of Bath, in the year 1865, an extraordinary young woman renowned for her nursing skills is convinced that some other destiny will one day show itself to her. But when she finds herself torn between a dangerous affair with a female lover and the promise of a conventional marriage to an apparently respectable doctor, her desires begin to lead her towards a future she had never imagined. Meanwhile, on the wild island of Borneo, an eccentric British 'rajah', Sir Ralph Savage, overflowing with philanthropy but compromised by his passions, sees his schemes relentlessly undermined by his own fragility, by man's innate greed and by the invasive power of the forest itself. Jane's quest for an altered life and Sir Ralph's endeavours become locked together as the story journeys across the globe - from the confines of an English tearoom to the rainforests of a tropical island via the slums of Dublin and the transgressive fancy-dress boutiques of Paris."--Publisher.

Islands of Mercy

Lily

In seventeenth-century England, the King ensures his mistress's safety by having Robert Merivel, son of a glovemaker, marry her, but Merivel falls in love with his wife, is cast out of courtly life, and finds refuge working with the insane at New Bedlam

A Novel of Seventeenth-century England

Restoration

Brought to the Danish court in 1629 to serve in the king's orchestra, English lutenist Peter Claire soon finds himself caught up in royal intrigue when he falls for a young woman who is the companion of the queen. Winner of the Whitbread Prize. Reader's Guide available. Reprint.

Music & Silence

A piercing short novel of thwarted love and true friendship from one of our greatest living writers How do you find the courage to make your own life? Marianne Clifford, teenage daughter of a peppery army colonel and his vain wife, falls helplessly and absolutely for eighteen-year-old Simon Hurst, whose cleverness and physical beauty suggest that he will go forward into a successful and monied future, helped on by doting parents. But fate intervenes. Simon's plans are blown off course, he leaves for Paris and Marianne is forced to bury her dreams of a future together. It is Marianne who tells this piercing story of first love, characterising herself as ignorant and unworthy, whilst her smart, ironic narration tellingly reveals so much more. Finding her way in 1960s Chelsea, and supported by her courageous Scottish friend, Petronella, she continues to seek the life she never stops craving. And in Paris, beneath his blithe exterior, Simon Hurst continues to nurse the secret which will alter everything.

Absolutely and Forever

In this sequel to Restoration, court physician Robert Merivel has a middle age crisis and sets off for Versailles where he meets Madame de Flamanville, a Swiss botanist, and rescues a captive bear to take back to Bidnold Manor.

A Man of His Time

Merivel

"Trapped in a London apartment, Beth remembers a transgressive love affair in 1960s Paris. The most famous writer in Russia takes his last breath in a stationmaster's cottage, miles from Moscow. A young woman who is about to marry a rich aristocrat instead begins a torrid relationship with a construction worker. A father, finally free of his daughter's demands, embarks on a long swim from his Canadian lakeside retreat. A middle-aged woman cares for her injured mother at Christmas. And in the grandest house of all, Danni the Polish housekeeper catches the eye of an enigmatic visitor, Daphne du Maurier"--

and other stories

The American lover

Rose Tremain casts a revealing light on the `vanished' world of the 1940s and 1950s in England and describes the slow journey from being Rosie, the outcast girl, to becoming Rose, the writer of powerful fictions

Scenes from a Vanished Life

Rosie

Thirteen-year-old Lewis Little, staying in Paris for the summer with his mother, becomes passionately involved with novelist Valentina Gavrilovich, and when she disappears, the secrets he uncovers in his search for her forces him to leave his childhood behind. Reprint.

The Way I Found Her

The uneasy peace between an alcoholic brother and his sister is disturbed by an antiques dealer who is looking to relocate.

Trespass

'Rose Tremain does not disappoint. As always her writing has a delicious, crunchy precision.' Observer A wise and witty look at the contemporary migrant experience. Lev is on his way from Eastern Europe to Britain, seeking work. Behind him loom the figures of his dead wife, his beloved young daughter and his outrageous friend Rudi who - dreaming of the wealthy West - lives largely for his battered Chevrolet. Ahead of Lev lies the deep strangeness of the British: their hostile streets, their clannish pubs, their obsession with celebrity. London holds out the alluring possibility of friendship, sex, money and a new career and, if Lev is lucky, a new sense of belonging... 'A novel of urgent humanity' Sunday Telegraph

The Road Home

The Swimming Pool Season

Gustav Sonata

Merivel: A Man of His Time

Restoration 

Gabriela Blandy

'The Mechanics' Institute Review' presents an anthology of short fiction from established and emerging writers.

Rose Tremain

Books

Your next favorite book is out there