Yorker Keith Launches New Fiction Novel

Remembrance of Blue Roses follows a man and a married couple in New York City, whose intricate relationship oscillates among friendship, love, love-triangle, and even obsession. Its romantic ambience is interwoven with classical music, opera, art, family legend, and international affairs, illuminating the lives of international civil servants at the United Nations and the UN peacekeeping mission in Sarajevo, and those with direct experience of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the Holocaust.

Mark, the narrator and an American, works for the United Nations in New York as a personnel officer; his friend, Hans, German, also works for the UN as an economist; and Yukari, Japanese and Hans's wife, is a professional violinist. One day Mark encounters Hans and Yukari in a museum. As Hans enjoys opera singing and Mark is into painting, the three foster their friendship through classical music, opera, and art. Mark resists feeling drawn to his friend's wife. One evening over dinner, they discover that their families were acquainted generations ago. This bonds them together. During the summer, inspired by the beauty of Yukari in her light blue dress at the UN garden, Hans and Mark secretly plant blue roses there for Yukari. The blue roses later blossom sumptuously. The three enjoy their blue roses, the symbol of their friendship and bond.

The story becomes complicated by the involvement of two other women: Mark's ex-wife, Francine, a Swiss, who is remarried to another of Mark's friends in the UN, Shem Tov, an Israeli; and Mark's high school sweetheart, Jane, to whom he was briefly engaged. Francine encourages Mark to be happy with Yukari, while Jane now wants to marry Mark. Yukari becomes pregnant with Hans's child and happily settles into her role as expectant mother. Mark, Hans, and Yukari celebrate New Year's Eve at the height of their friendship and happiness. ... Then a series of tragedies shatters their joy and alters their future forever.

... Then a series of tragedies shatters their joy and alters their future forever.

Praise for Remembrance of Blue Roses:

"A skillful tale that explores relationship nuances and redemption."
- Kirkus Reviews

"Yorker Keith's Remembrance of Blue Roses is a slow-burning, passionate literary novel that speaks to the romantic in all of us.

"... A precisely-written, well-crafted literary work that illuminates
the many facets of love, obsession and, ultimately, redemption." - Chanticleer Book Reviews

"A deftly crafted, multi-layered, compelling read from beginning to end, Remembrance of Blue Roses establishes novelist Yorker Keith as an extraordinarily gifted storyteller." - Midwest Book Review

"Readers who enjoy a sophisticated and well-written book about the
complexity of human relationship will definitely enjoy Remembrance of Blue Roses." - Readers' Favorite

Remembrance of Blue Roses is available in both print and ebook formats.

Book Details:
Remembrance of Blue Roses
By Yorker Keith
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: April 2016
ISBN: 978-1483562193
ASIN: B018STIFKG
Pages: 294
Genre: Literary Fiction

About The Author:
Yorker Keith lives in Manhattan, New York City. He loves literature, theatre, classical music, opera, and art. He holds an MFA in creative writing from The New School. His literary works have been recognized four times in the William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition as a finalist or a semifinalist.

Contact Information:

Yorker Keith
Email: ykrh001 (at) gmail.com
Website: http://bookbuzz.net/blog/literary-fiction-remembrance-of-blue-roses/