Lead Review (Every Time We Say Goodbye)

• Book: Every Time We Say Goodbye
• Location: Italy, London, Rome
• Author: Natalie Jenner

Review Author: tripfiction

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner starts in London’s West End but quickly moves to Rome and the Italian countryside. Just as soon as central character Vivien Lowry’s latest play opens to a rapturous reception from audiences, the critics savage her work, leading her to question her entire career.

Thanks to Peggy Guggenheim, she is unexpectedly presented with an opportunity to work as a script doctor on a film shooting in Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. The author cleverly weaves in real-life icons such as Guggenheim, Ava Gardner and Sophia Loren, and Vivien finds herself thriving and making new connections in her adopted country.

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However, she soon finds herself on the wrong end of a powerful man in the Vatican, as well as romantically linked to a suave player, with whom she thinks she is in love. As she discovers his double life, she is also facing the long-buried truth of what really happened to her soldier fiancé during the war.

Running parallel to this 1950s narrative are tales of the Italian resistance fighters who were risking their lives for truth and justice towards the end of WW2. The links between the two storylines cleverly show the impact of the Nazi occupation and the damage felt by those who survived, and the power and censorship held by the Vatican.

Joined by younger characters Levi and Tabitha, who have stories from the war that are so humbling and demonstrate how important it is to share history. Their tale portrays a tender exploration of love, loss and the profound connections that linger even as life moves forward.

Jenner’s prose is elegant yet natural, capturing the emotional subtleties of her characters with clarity. However, I did wonder about the necessity of the sub-storyline of Vivien trying to find out what happened to her fiancé and found it didn’t quite join seamlessly with the rest of the narrative.

While Every Time We Say Goodbye is a deeply moving read, its pace is sometimes slow. The focus on character introspection and the intricate web of relationships requires patience, particularly for those accustomed to plot-driven narratives.

Val for the TripFiction Team

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