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The Third Love

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The Third Love

By: Hiromi Kawakami
Narrated by: Susan Momoko-Hingley
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About this listen

Having married her childhood sweetheart, Riko now finds herself trapped in a relationship that has been soured by infidelity. One day, by chance, she runs into her old friend Mr. Takaoka, who offers friendship, love, and an unusual escape: he teaches her the trick of living inside her dreams. And so, each night, she sinks into another life: first as a high-ranking courtesan in the 17th century, and then as a serving lady to a princess in the late Middle Ages. As she experiences desire and heartbreak in the past, so Riko comes to reconsider her life as a 21st century woman, as a wife, as a mother, and as a lover, and to ask herself whether, after loving her husband and loving Mr. Takaoka, she is now ready for her third great love.

©2024 Hiromi Kawakami (P)2024 W. F. Howes Ltd Genre Fiction Magical Realism Women's Fiction World Literature Marriage Heartfelt
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Anyone who's read the previous offerings from Hiromi Kawakami knows to expect a multilayered mix of the very real and very mundane with otherworldly elements. I knew I was in for a literary treat and I wasn't disappointed. And we find another theme favoured by the author, the meaning of life (and love). She analyses singleminded love forensically, in a narrative that transgresses the present and enters other historical times. References to Japanese literature add byet another layer of complexity to the story, with poignant feminist observations. The narrator's voice is easy to listen to, and there are very good changes of tone and tonality to reflect the scene and characters.

Another triumph from Hiromi Kawakami

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