"Emotionally beautiful and rewarding, this LoveReading Star Book was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2019. "
A different, emotionally beautiful and rewarding debut about love, hope, and all the strange little things that come together to make up a family. Augusta and Parfait, born on different continents into different worlds, both want to leave everything behind but does that ever solve anything? What a first sentence! Those few words stayed with me throughout the entire book, sitting, waiting, every now and then tapping me on the shoulder to say hello. I so love how this story unfolds, two separate tales, are they on a collision course or destined to remain forever apart? Joanna Glen has set intricate strands from the past coiling and twisting together through to the present to create a feeling of tension and mystery. While undeniably and wonderfully quirky, there is a real sense of warmth here, even when your heart may feel as though it is about to crack in two. As I read I found myself filling up with love for The Other Half of Augusta Hope. It has been chosen as a Debut of the Month and a LoveReading Star Book too, as it really is that gorgeous!
Explore our '80+ Books That Deliver a Hug' listicle for more feel-good or uplifting books.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
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Two very different, engaging characters from thousands of miles apart and extremely different backgrounds. How and why are their absorbing life stories so inextricably linked? This enjoyable tale will introduce on a roller-coaster of emotions through a range many carefully observed life observations. It will draw a reader in and keep them focused, hoping that certain decisions will be made. This book would make a great holiday addition.
A wonderful story, where two very different character's lives are revealed in absorbing alternate chapters. We meet Augusta, an awkward girl with a twin sister from a safe English suburb. On the other side of the world, we enter Parfait's story. A boy is growing up surrounded by situations of desperation in Burundi, Africa.
There are clear similarities between these two well-portrayed figures, so much so, that I just had to read on to follow each decision they both made.
Tragedy, humour and careful observation in this inter-woven tale, will engage you and keep you grasped.... Read Full Review
An enjoyable story with fascinating characters.
Augusta Hope has a twin sister, Julia but they are not identical by any means. Julia is the more conventional twin who aims to please her parents, while Augusta feels different, like that she has never fitted in and is at odds with how the rest of her family think and behave.
Burundi, in Africa, is a country that Augusta picks out on the map and decides is her favourite country and begins to learn everything she can about it. Her story set in a small town in middle England runs alongside the story of Parfait who lives in Burundi.... Read Full Review
A book full of emotions that will leave you looking at the world and loved ones in a slightly different way!
This book begins by following twin sisters, Augusta and Julia, who couldn't be more different from each other. It explores the family dynamics and also the simplicity and naivety of growing up.
The flip side to this book is a boy called Parfait, who lives in a war-stricken and violent country is facing challenges of an entirely different sort to the twin sisters.
Without giving much away, their stories end up interlinking in a way that you couldn't imagine and the consequences impact on both the lives of Augusta and Parfait.
This book is full of emotion and makes you wonder if a single action by one person can change the lives of others.... Read Full Review
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