A Version of the Truth

by Marsh Rose

For nearly forty years, Marsh Rose shared an unconventional yet deeply intimate bond with Jack. Though they maintained separate homes and never married, their routine was an two nights a week spent together, daily phone calls, and decades of shared history, support, and companionship. Jack was her steady partner through homes, careers, crises, and celebrations. Then, without warning, he completely vanished.

Ten days of frantic searching led to a shocking discovery. Jack was incapacitated by a hemorrhagic stroke—unable to speak, his memory erased. But the medical emergency was only the beginning of a profound crisis; he had been living an entirely separate life with a woman who knew him by a different name.

A Version of the Truth is a literary memoir written with humor, honesty, and psychological insight. Through one extraordinary personal story, Marsh Rose explores love, loss, identity, and the resilience required to move forward when certainty is impossible.

As Marsh navigates her new reality, she is ultimately forced to grapple with universal What does it truly mean to know another person? And how do we find closure when life leaves us with an unsolvable mystery?

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir

114 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 8, 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!

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speechless

This truly left me speechless. I can't quite wrap my mind around what happened in this book. How does 40 years end with so many questions? How does a double life life this even exist? The ending was very abrupt and shocking and there is no real closure. I can't hate it because I enjoyed reading it so much, but the unanswered questions are very unsettling. THIS BOOK DOES NOT HAVE A WRAPPED UP HAPPY ENDING! This book will leave you unsettled and asking a million questions. Just beware of that before you pick it up.

[Shawne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book

I love how the author laid out her life simply. There was not a lot of time spent on describing everything like some author's do. Very well written somewhat vague but just enough to make you want to keep reading about this relationship that really was never defined. The ending took me by great surprise and I was disappointed the book was over. Left me wanting more.....of the rest of the story.

[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.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Idea

I loved this book. It was a unique concept about which to write. Totally not a formulaic storyline. I don't want to get too specific about what I loved about A Version of the Truth because I don't want to ruin anything for the next reader. Suffice it to say, it was entertaining, made me think and taught me something.

[Michelle Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew…It blew me away

I read this book in one day. I couldn’t put it down. They say truth is stranger than fiction and this one proves it. Now I wonder how she is, is she even still alive? Read this one, it will stay with you forever.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began reading this and could not put it down, completely pulled in. I read it in one sitting and I am stunned and saddened by the ending. I thank the author for sharing her difficult story and I wish her well.

[Anita R · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting story about a 40 year relationship between neighbors. They only got together two times a week. At the end of the story, the author discovers something shocking about her “friend”. The story progressed very slowly .

[Charleen Stroup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!

I love the story lines and philosophy woven in to each individual, who is so much like people I have known. I laughed out loud at the humor and clenched my fist with anger, and inhaled with shock as the memoir unfolds.

[Judy Scaife · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very different sort of story

The storyline was interesting throughout without an actual ending. The story of two people and how their lives became entwined but never together. A nice comforting read, though an ending without a real ending.

[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!

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. At only 114 pages this book leaves a gigantic impression. It’s emotional, funny, interesting and sad. Loved every single page.

[David Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I found it interesting.