Love, After All

When widowed Clara meets younger Elias, neither expects love to last – then distance and illness test their fragile happiness. A life-affirming, million-copy German bestseller from the author of Tasting Sunlight – A BBC World Book Club Pick!

WINNER of Good Housekeeping Good Books Award

‘Delicate, yet compelling, this unusual love story is a little gem’ Rachel Hore

‘A stunning exploration of love in all its highs and lows, its complications and vulnerability. Gloriously written and one to savour … I loved it!’ Louise Fein

‘Poignant and unforgettable – Arenz understands the human heart like few others’ Louisa Treger

Fall in love when you least expect it…

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When Clara meets Elias, she isn’t looking for love. Widowed and wary of being hurt again, she has built a careful life of work and quiet independence. Elias, an actor in his thirties, is trapped in a relationship that no longer feels real, more at ease slipping into a role than being himself. Yet from the moment they meet, something genuine sparks between them – something neither has felt in years.

They fall into step easily, sharing secrets, laughter and the sense of being seen. But there is the age difference, the miles between their worlds, and the lingering guilt that ties Clara to her past. When a new job takes her to another part of the country, she ends the relationship before he can – certain that love like theirs cannot last. And then Elias falls ill, forcing them both to confront what truly matters.

Told with warmth, gentle humour and quiet insight, Love, After All is a luminous portrait of two people finding the courage to open their hearts again – proof that love, at any age, can still take us by surprise.

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'Ewald Arenz understands the human heart in all its nuances and vagaries … a masterclass in honest, insightful writing. I seldom cry over books, but this one got me' Gill Paul

'A spellbinding novel about all the colours of love … told with extraordinary sensitivity as well as breathtaking understanding. A love story for our times, full of wisdom and joy. Surely set to become a modern classic' Maggie Brookes

‘Warms even the hearts of cynics’ Der Spiegel

'Ewald Arenz delivers a masterclass in empathy … a prosaic, touching novel, asking big questions about relationships and matters of the heart. A novel to be treasured' Riveter, European Literature Network

What readers are saying
★★★★★

‘It felt so real, I forgot I was reading’

‘Devastating … in the best possible way’

‘I didn’t want to leave Clara and Elias behind’

‘The kind of book you want everyone you know to read’

‘Beautifully observed and completely absorbing’

‘Subtle, wise and so moving’

‘A novel about real people, real choices and real love … incredibly convincing’

'A beautiful book’

Praise for Ewald Arenz

‘Ewald Arenz writes with gentle joy’ Iona Gray

‘Funny, touching, troubling’ Saga magazine

‘Profound in its simplicity … a remarkable, exquisitely written debut’Irish Times

‘Hopeful and poignant and lyrically told. A truly compassionate and heartening book’ Culturefly

‘This reminded me of reading Sally Rooney's Normal People. It takes a writer of immeasurable talent to make you feel that intensely’ Elizabeth Haynes

‘Powerful, original and engaging’ Susie Boyt

‘Written with beautiful simplicity’ Doug Johnstone

‘Powerful, lyrical and profoundly affecting’ Miranda Dickinson

‘Moving and heart-wrenching, but ultimately uplifting’ Carol Lovekin

German Independent Booksellers' Book of the Year

Tasting Sunlight is a BBC World Service WORLD BOOK CLUB PICK