The Weight of Loss is a beautifully crafted debut novel by an extremely gifted writer, Sally Oliver.
The novel offers a profound exploration of a young life shaped by grief, loss, trauma and troubled relationships. It is also a story of how the ordinariness of the reality we inhabit has an impact on our inner emotional world as well as our physical well-being.
The Weight of Loss unfolds a story of Marianne and her quest for emotional healing following the death of her sister. Leaving behind her troubled personal relationships, family, and stressful job. Marianne travels to Nede, an experimental health retreat in the Welsh countryside where she undergoes the treatment. To the certain extent, the retreat itself can be read as a personification of Marianne’s emotional turmoil and fears, where nothing seems to be as it is.
The elements of a gothic novel used to amplify the reality of trauma felt by the main character, Marianne is executed beautifully. Sally Oliver’s writing is mesmerising, infused with perceptive ideas veiled in quiet melancholy.
The Weight of Loss is such an extraordinary and timely read, a compelling portrayal of emotional life and trauma.
Thank you, One World Publishing House, for this beautiful copy of this book. I extend my gratitude to Sally for writing such an impactful, ambitious, and luminous book. The Weight of Loss is a tremendous literary achievement and a gift to the world of English literature. I do look forward to more books by Sally Oliver.
I highly recommend it.
[Published in US as Garden of Earthly Bodies]
