Rose Tremain Books In Order

Publication Order of Restoration Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Chapbooks

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Ballantine's Illustrated History of the Violent Century: Politics in Action Books

Publication Order of Vintage Minis Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Rose Tremain is an award-winning and bestselling English novelist and short story writer. She has written several mind-blowing standalone novels in her career based on the magical realism, historical fiction, mystery, crime, suspense, cultural, and literary fiction genres. Tremain’s books have helped her win some prestigious literary awards, including the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, the Baileys Women’s Prize, the Prix Femina Etranger, the Orange Prize, the Giles Cooper Award, the Whitbread Award, etc. Her novel, Restoration, was nominated for the Booker Prize. Author Tremain was born as Rosemary Jane Thomson on August 2, 1943, in London, U.K. Her great-grandfather, William Thomson, was the York Archbishop between 1862 and 1890. Tremain completed her schooling from the Francis Holland School and the Crofton Grange School. Later, she studied at Sorbonne and went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from East Anglia University.

Between 1988 and 1995, Tremain was employed as a teacher of creative writing at East Anglia University and in 2013, she was appointed its Chancellor. Author Tremain has held multiple life partners over the course of her life. First, she was married to Jon Tremain, with whom she has a daughter named Eleanor, born one year after the marriage. Eleanor chose the career path of acting. Tremain’s marriage with Jon Tremain lasted for only five years. After that, she married a theater director named Jonathan Dudley in 1982. Her second marriage lasted for nine years. Since 1992, Tremain has been living with Richard Holmes, although they have not officially married. Tremain and Richard live in Norfolk. The writing influences of Tremain include authors like Gabriel Garcia Marquez and William Golding. As a novelist of historical fiction, she likes to approach her subjects from different angles and concentrate her attention on the glamorous outsiders. In 2009, Tremain donated one of her short stories to the Ox-Tales project, which is 4 collections of stories penned by 38 UK novelists. Her story was featured in the Earth collection.

After obtaining her English degree in 1967, author Tremain worked for some time in the British Printing Corporation. She wrote a few nonfiction works based on sufferings of women before releasing her debut novel, the 1976 book called Sadler’s Birthday. In this book, Tremain described the story of an aged butler, who lives a lonely life in the house that his former employers left him. The book not only became successful, but also established the reputation of Tremain as a chronicler of loneliness and despair. In her second book, Tremain has described the life story of a middle-aged woman, who goes through a turmoil and approaches her former teacher for solace. Likewise, Tremain has explored the relationships between an older writer and her interviewing journalist in her third book.

In the subsequent books that Tremain wrote in her writing career, she moved away from her intense focus on a single or a couple of characters. The 1989 book, Restoration, provides a historical narrative of many layers based on the interconnected lives of several characters during the time of Charles II. This book was adapted into a movie in 1995. Tremain’s 1992 book called Sacred Country explores the adventures of a girl named Mary Ward, who is made to think that she is a boy from a very young age. Tremain was awarded the CBE in 2007 and she also holds an FRSL.

A successful book written by author Rose Tremain is entitled ‘The Color’. It was released in 2004 by the Vintage publication. The main characters depicted in this book include Joseph Blackstone, Harriet Blackstone, Lilian Blackstone, Toby Orchard, Dorothy Orchard, Edwin Orchard, etc. Tremain has set the story in New Zealand and England. The book opens by depicting that Harriet and Joseph are a newlywed couple. They are immigrants in New Zealand and have moved there from England, along with the mother of Joseph Blackstone, Lilian. This family hopes to give new beginnings to their lives and achieve prosperity. However, they face threats of destruction, even before their life begins from the harsh land of Christchurch where they take shelter. Later, Joseph discovers gold in the nearby fields. But, he keeps the discovery hidden from his family. Joseph becomes so much obsessed with the awaiting riches that he abandons his family and farm, and sets off in search of new goldfields to the Southern Alps. The characterizations and storyline of this novel were highly appreciated by the readers in many parts of the world. Many prominent critics have also praised the story of this book and Tremain’s writing style.

Another mind-blowing book penned by Tremain is known as ‘The Gustav Sonata’. It was published by Chatto Windus in 2016. This novel features the central characters in the roles of Gustav Perle, Emilie, Anton Zweibel, etc. The setting of the plot is done in Switzerland. Initially, it is depicted that Gustav Perle is brought up in a small town located in Switzerland. World War II horrors can still be witnessed in his village. Gustav is the only child of his parents and resides alone with his mother named Emilie. Gustav adores his mother very much, but she treats with bitterly. As he grows older, Gustav gets acquainted with a Jewish boy named Anton Zweibel and forms a close friendship with him. Anton is mercurial and talented and is an aspiring concert pianist.

The story follows Gustav Perle’s family and traces the roots of the anti-Semitism values of his mother as the way it impacted Gustav and his best friend. This novel explores the love of a childhood friendship. It shows how childhood friendship is formed, lost, transformed, and gained back over the course of a lifetime. Tremain’s description of the story moves backward to describe the war years and its painful repercussions. It also moves forward through the life and career of Anton and Gustav. This book was also well appreciated by the readers and praised by critics all across the globe. It found a lot of takers in any foreign countries. The success of this book helped author Tremain become much more popular and successful as an author of historical and literary fiction.