Toe leukemie in hul twintigste huweliksjaar by Marthie se man Derik gediagnoseer word, word die Mombergs se lewe onherroeplik verander. Die “vonnis” kom totaal onverwags en die prognose lyk donker: waar Derik voorheen vir geen uitdaging nee gese het nie (die Twee Oseane en die Comrades gehardloop het, entoesiasties was om sy vlieglisensie te bekom en die paartjie op die kruin gestaan het van ’n skynbaar sorgelose en geleentheidbelaaide bestaan, moet hulle nou die realiteit van hospitale, chemoterapie, en later die onafwendbaarheid van Derik se dood, leer verwerk – en ervaar hulle onder die moeilikste van omstandighede dat die kleure van liefde nie net die sonskyngeel en pastelpienk van die lewe se ligkant insluit nie – maar ook die swart van vrees, die grys van onsekerheid en die rooi van pyn help inkleur. In Kleure van liefde word met nugterheid en humor, maar ook op filosofiese en vraende trant, besin oor die lewe voor, tydens en na ’n geliefde se dood. Deur werklike dagboekinskrywings en e-posse die skrywer en haar man by die vertelling in te sluit, word die leser betrek by ’n baie persoonlike ontdekkingstog: die na aanvaarding, berusting – en hoop.

The title indicates that the book is primarily about love. It begins with the funeral of the author's husband, who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia and died in his early forties. But this is not a morbid tale tale of suffering, nor a predictable book on illness and death.

On a structural level the author's voice is complemented with excerpts from her husband's diary as well as e-mails to friends and her own dreams. The book also integrates conventional practices and new age ideas in such a way that it appeals to people with various viewpoints.

The second half of the book describes several examples of her communication with the deceased, as well as the significance of the numbers 1 and 9 in their marriage. After his death, Marthie travels to Peru to follow the Inca trail. This literal journey is a metaphor for the spiritual journey that unfolds within her and she finds answers to existential questions.

The final image of the story is in the colour of Red, which is the colour of life, love and passion. In Peru, on tour with South Africans and Americans, Marthie is told, via a channel, that Derik wants her to buy herself a present, from him. It had to be something to wrap around her shoulders, it had to be red, and she had to buy it in Peru. The item turns out to be a Red Pashmina. The significance of this, as the closing image, is that the story is about life, about passion and about energy. The need to experience life in all its facets, and to grow.