Rosie Wilby is a comedian, writer and singer songwriter. Her first book Is Monogamy Dead? was published in 2017.
Her second book is about relationship breakups. She draws on her own experience and those of her friends, where appropriate. It’s something that most of us have been through, but often it’s not an experience we choose to revisit, or let the world know about. This book is a discrete but sharing learning aide. It seems that there are common threads between the ending of all our intimate relationships. Rosie quotes Kathy Labriola’s seven reasons for relationship breakdowns and goes from there. The book is a whole mix of humour, emotional intelligence and psychology with some research thrown in for good measure.
I found it easily readable, written with warmth, and gentle humour. It made me reflect about the many relationship breakups in my life but also it was useful to assimilate those, sometimes painful, memories. The book is written as if in a dialogue with the reader and I often found myself wanting to throw my own memories into the mix. If I have one observation, it is that, and it’s not a criticism, most of the book is about being left rather than those times when we choose to leave. Perhaps the being left memories are the ones that stay with us. It is heartening to read that Rosie has found ways to stay friends with her ex’s. This seems like the way forward,
This book is for everyone. It’s a kind warm reflection that might just make you look at the past differently.
The Breakup Monologues will be available from 27th May, published by Bloomsbury Green Tree.
Listen to Rosie Wilby’s Breakup Monologues podcast and find out more about her work at rosiewilby.com
Review by Carolyn Batcheler
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