After Rain by William Trevor

After Rain

William Trevor

A collection of short stories, set mainly in England and Ireland. The focus, generally, is on moments of sadness of loss, and how the main characters react to this. You feel drawn to the people portrayed and can really empathise with them by the end of each story.

Extract
A holiday was cancelled, there was an empty fortnight. She wanted to go somewhere else then, not in England with time on her hands. 'Io sola,' she said on the telephone, hoping she had got that right, choosing the Cesarin because she'd known it in childhood, because she thought that being alone would be easier in familiar surroundings.
Parallels
  • Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
  • A Room with a View by E M Forster
  • Merchant Ivory Films