“I had thought it would be painful to be reminded, but what I felt instead was a sort of collapse in time, or a possibility: a curious but strong sense that my old life might still exist there, that if I went back I might find those people, that summer, all going on there still, unharmed and unchanged.“
In 2002, James is 16. He’s gay, which makes him an object of curiosity in his small English town. His parents don’t quite know how to treat him, but it saddens them that James is a loner. What they don’t understand is just how much he wants to belong and how much he wants to find someone just like him.
And then Luke arrives, the nephew of James’ parents’ friends. Luke has come to stay at his aunt and uncle’s farm just outside James’ village because he has no one else to care for him—his mother has moved to Paris to be with another man, and his father is in jail. Luke has a reputation for being a bit of trouble, a bit out of control, and James is immediately smitten.
The story is told 20 years later. James is an adult and is looking at property that is for sale—the farm where Luke lived that year. James looks back on this not-quite-relationship that had such an impact on his life. It’s amazing how much our interactions with a person—particularly for a short time—can change us.
This was a beautifully told coming-of-age novel. James isn’t entirely sympathetic but his struggles, his longing felt very familiar to me. I’m amazed that this is a debut novel and can’t wait to see what comes next for Seán Hewitt.
The book will publish 4/15/2025.
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