A Version of the Truth

by Marsh Rose

After forty years of sharing quiet companionship with Jack, meeting twice a week, living separately and loving each other in their own way, Marsh Rose is left with more questions than answers after a sudden crisis ends their time together. Marsh reflects on the shape of their relationship, the comfort of routines, and the mysteries that even deep intimacy can never fully solve.
Set in Northern California wine country, the book moves gently through decades of small but meaningful moments, from home repairs to bird feeder battles to the adoption of a dog, and ending with a surreal twist, painting a portrait of an unconventional love. This is a story of grief, aging and coming to peace with uncertainty.
With tenderness and clarity, A Version of the Truth invites readers to consider what it means to truly know another person and how we construct meaning from what we’ll never fully understand.

Paperback

Published October 7, 2025

About the author

I'm a freelance writer and psychotherapist. Since 1994 my short stories have appeared in a wide range of publications including Cosmopolitan, Salon.Com, the San Francisco Chronicle and Redwood Coast Review. In 2018 my short story, "False Memory," won first prize for creative nonfiction from New Millennium Writing. My first novel, Lies and Love in Alaska, was published in 2014 and my second, Escape Routes, was published by Sunbury Press in 2021. My memoir, A Version of the Truth, was published by Sunbury Press in September 2025.

Reviews

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an entertaining read until the end.
I adored Jack. I,loved his candor, pragmatism, and all of his skills. Everyone needs a Jack in their life!
He was such an old softie too.
However, the ending left me disjointed. The author made peace without knowing the truth about who Janet really was but I didn’t.
I want to know who she was.
It tore me up to read about what happened to Jack.
Thanks Books Forward for the advance copy.

[RebeccaReviewedIt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is wild, made even more wild by the fact that it’s autobiographical. Marsh and her partner were together for 40 years. He was with her through it all, yet they only saw each other 2 days a week. Her family didn’t fully understand their life or why she would choose to what was referred to in the book as a shanty. But she felt she needed to stay close to him. One day, she gets the terrible news that he’s had a debilitating stroke. And not only that, but a woman is caring for him and calling him by a different name. Can Marsh come to terms with only knowing a version of the truth about her partner? Y’all, I cannot even begin to put myself in this author’s shoes. It’s a super quick read; the chapters are short, and the overall book is only about 100 pages. I love getting glimpses into other peoples’s lives, and this definitely disappoint in that area. Thank you so much to BooksForward for my copy!

[Corrine Pritchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Version of the Truth" is a beautifully written memoir that captures the quiet rhythms of an unconventional love story. Marsh Rose vulnerably shows us a world of intimacy, grief and mystery and honestly reminds us that even our deepest relationships hold truths we may never fully grasp. I enjoyed this read thoroughly.

[Books Forward · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Version of the Truth is a tender, quietly powerful memoir that explores the complexities of love, loss, and the unknowable spaces between two people. Marsh really calls readers to look inward, and reminds us that some truths are felt more than understood, and that peace often comes not from answers, but from acceptance.

[jamie Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a short read that’s packed with tons of emotions like love grief and compassion that spans over 40 years.It will make you take a look at your own love life. I really enjoyed this beautiful book and the characters!