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August Falling
Can the stories he tells himself pull him back from the edge?After a bad relationship, August is trying to piece his life back together. It's not perfect – his flat is small, he works in a call centre, he can't finish the book he's working on, and he's hopelessly awkward when it comes to relationships. Then August meets Julie.Julie is everything he isn't – confident, composed, and purposeful, despite her troubled childhood. With her, August finally begins to feel he can be himself. More importantly, he starts to see a future. But Julie has a past – a past that August comes face to face with on a computer screen. Can August find it in himself to love Julie unconditionally, the way he's always longed to be loved himself?Les Zig's writing is sharp, honest and incisive, so real in parts it will make you flinch. Zig has the unique ability to pull real, human truths from the ordinary and everyday.Praise for Les Zig and Just Another Week in integrity personified.' – A.S. Patrić, Atlantic BlackJust Another Week in Suburbia is a hugely enjoyable novel which illuminates the extraordinary in the everyday, and the quirky in the quotidian.' – Ryan O'Neill, Their Brilliant Careers'His writing amply displays the rare combination of natural talent and extraordinary hard work characteristic of those who succeed in the industry.' – Andrew Morgan, Good on Paper
436 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2018
1 person is currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Les Zig
10 books19 followersLes Zig is a novelist, screenwriter, and speaker.
He has six published novels: Just Another Week in Suburbia (ECG Press 2025, although it was originally published by Pantera Press in 2017), explores the questions of trust, fidelity, and how well you can ever truly know another person; Any More Complicated Than That (ECG Press 2024) is a sexy but humorous polarization of the love triangle trope; Prudence (ECG Press 2023) delves into questions of fidelity, temptation, and our darkest desires and poses the question, who do you become when you face the worst part of yourself?; and August Falling (Pantera Press 2018) is a story about unconditional acceptance, reclaiming the past, and finding a way forward.
As “Lazaros Zigomanis” (the name under which he was baptized), his YA novel, This, (MidnightSun Publishing 2023), tells the story of a 15-year-old dealing with burgeoning neurosis as he navigates social pressures, high school obligations, and his overbearing Greek parents. Kevin Brophy called it “engrossing, authentic and important fiction”.
Song of the Curlew (ECG Press 2022) is about dreams, coming of age, community, love, and racism. It has been described by best-selling Young Adult author George Ivanoff as “an extraordinary book”.
Les has also written and directed short content: the short film, The Here Now (2023), about a woman who can’t escape her grief; The Other Side of Paradise (2021), about a man trapped in his own vengeance; The Abnorms (2020), which was shot entirely in lockdown, and plays with idea of an interdimensional invasion from demonic entities; and the concept trailer for Little Diva Rising (2019).
He’s currently working on a horror feature, Heritage, in conjunction with Glamm Productions.
He’s had four screenplays optioned, and a raft of unproduced screenplays place as finalists in over one hundred international competitions. His stories and articles have also been published extensively.
A lifetime writer, Les has a love of storytelling, and has always wanted to tell stories.
Les Zig is a novelist, screenwriter, and speaker.
He has six published novels: Just Another Week in Suburbia (ECG Press 2025, although it was originally published by Pantera Press in 2017), explores the questions of trust, fidelity, and how well you can ever truly know another person; Any More Complicated Than That (ECG Press 2024) is a sexy but humorous polarization of the love triangle trope; Prudence (ECG Press 2023) delves into questions of fidelity, temptation, and our darkest desires and poses the question, who do you become when you face the worst part of yourself?; and August Falling (Pantera Press 2018) is a story about unconditional acceptance, reclaiming the past, and finding a way forward.
As “Lazaros Zigomanis” (the name under which he was baptized), his YA novel, This, (MidnightSun Publishing 2023), tells the story of a 15-year-old dealing with burgeoning neurosis as he navigates social pressures, high school obligations, and his overbearing Greek parents. Kevin Brophy called it “engrossing, authentic and important fiction”.
Song of the Curlew (ECG Press 2022) is about dreams, coming of age, community, love, and racism. It has been described by best-selling Young Adult author George Ivanoff as “an extraordinary book”.
Les has also written and directed short content: the short film, The Here Now (2023), about a woman who can’t escape her grief; The Other Side of Paradise (2021), about a man trapped in his own vengeance; The Abnorms (2020), which was shot entirely in lockdown, and plays with idea of an interdimensional invasion from demonic entities; and the concept trailer for Little Diva Rising (2019).
He’s currently working on a horror feature, Heritage, in conjunction with Glamm Productions.
He’s had four screenplays optioned, and a raft of unproduced screenplays place as finalists in over one hundred international competitions. His stories and articles have also been published extensively.
A lifetime writer, Les has a love of storytelling, and has always wanted to tell stories.
Les Zig is a novelist, screenwriter, and speaker.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 3, 2018
"This isn't a love story.
It involves love, and things related to love. But it's not neat. It's not easy. And it's not straightforward."
So opens Les Zig's new novel on life and love in suburbia. August Priddy is an anxious young man, wounded and withdrawn after his sudden breakup with Lisa, his partner of five years, and missing their little boy Bobby. He's retreated to a call centre job he doesn't like and hasn't been able to finish the book he was writing when he was with Lisa and Bobby He's wary of new relationships but when bright, confident Julie walks into the cafe where he has lunch every day, he gets up the courage (with a nudge from his sister Gen) to ask for her number. And so begins a love story. Angus is smitten and life starts to look up until the day he finds out that Julie has a secret she has been dreading to tell him.
This was an engaging tale with strong, contemporary writing and some wonderful characters. Julie so strong and wise for one so young, wanting to shake off her past and spread her wings and Angus crippled and obsessed by his bad experiences, needing to find enough confidence to become his own person and make a new future for himself.
With thanks to Netgalley and Pantera Press for a digital copy to read.
It involves love, and things related to love. But it's not neat. It's not easy. And it's not straightforward."
So opens Les Zig's new novel on life and love in suburbia. August Priddy is an anxious young man, wounded and withdrawn after his sudden breakup with Lisa, his partner of five years, and missing their little boy Bobby. He's retreated to a call centre job he doesn't like and hasn't been able to finish the book he was writing when he was with Lisa and Bobby He's wary of new relationships but when bright, confident Julie walks into the cafe where he has lunch every day, he gets up the courage (with a nudge from his sister Gen) to ask for her number. And so begins a love story. Angus is smitten and life starts to look up until the day he finds out that Julie has a secret she has been dreading to tell him.
This was an engaging tale with strong, contemporary writing and some wonderful characters. Julie so strong and wise for one so young, wanting to shake off her past and spread her wings and Angus crippled and obsessed by his bad experiences, needing to find enough confidence to become his own person and make a new future for himself.
With thanks to Netgalley and Pantera Press for a digital copy to read.
September 28, 2018
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
3.5 stars
August Falling is Australian author Les Zig’s second novel, following his debut, Just Another Week in Suburbia, which was shortlisted for the Hachette Manuscript Development Program. Les Zig’s latest novel is a strong composition, marked by well defined characters and thought provoking themes. August Falling would be an ideal book club choice, as there are a plethora of themes and ideas to discuss. There is a great set of accompanying book club notes at the close of the book, which would support book club discussions.
Described by fellow author Laurie Steed as ‘raw, poignant ad unflinching’, August Falling is the very raw tale of a man trying to cope with the ghosts of his past and reconcile this emotional baggage with his future. When we meet Les Zig’s lead, August, he is nursing a broken heart. A debilitating break up has left him in pieces. His life is uninspiring; he works in a call centre (perhaps one of the worst jobs on earth!) and he resides in a poky flat. He has been dreaming of publishing a book he has on the go and to top it all off, August is socially inept. By chance, August meets Julie, a woman he is immediately drawn to. Julie is quite the opposite of August, she is resolute and assured. She has a fairly heartbreaking background and she is dedicated to caring for her infirm aunt. As August begins to open up and let Julie into his life, a big secret about his new love interest is revealed. This secret has the power to make or break this new couple and it may have August retreating back to his old self. August Falling is a book that considers the past and the power it has over us.
When I read a book I always like to absorb the acknowledgements section. I noted in August Falling that the author of this novel, Les Zig, sites the influence of an Australian author I absolutely love, Kim Lock, in the building process of August Falling. It sent a sense of excitement through me and I was definitely very enthusiastic about delving into this one. I also love to discover new Australian authors, so August Falling had great initial appeal.
I got a strong feeling of Graeme Simsion as I read August Falling, if you are a fan of his work (I am) I’m sure this novel which sit well with you. Zig’s lead protagonist August has shades of Don Tillman, Simsion’s lead and the humour lines are markedly similar. August has a complicated and sad back story. He has been cut badly in the past and he now carries around a lot of baggage. August is quite flawed, he has trouble interacting and socialising with others. He also has a self defeatist attitude. It is good to see August blossom as the book progresses and step outside his comfort zone. Sometimes it is hard not to want to shake August in the decisions he makes. His single minded nature at times did get under my skin, but he has his endearing moments too. I particularly liked his relationship with his dear and caring sister Gen. I also enjoyed the narrative thread that revolves around August’s writing and his hopes for his book, it was an interesting touch.
Supporting August are some memorable side characters and of course Julie, August’s love interest. When Julie enters to picture the book has a markedly changed outlook, which I liked. Julie is outlined well by Zig and her secret, which delivered a whopping plot twist, was quite unexpected on my behalf! The scenario Les Zig presents definitely makes the reader think once or twice about what they would do if they were placed in the same bind as August!
As we are warned in the hooking first line of August Falling, this is no straightforward romance and walk in the park style love story. It opens up the wounds of love, lust and relationships. There are scabs, nasty ones, but there is also hope and opportunities for change. The dialogue and sense of realism, an almost no holds back style of exploring modern relationships from a refreshing male point of view, was very much welcomed by this reader. I think there needs to be more of this style of modern life drama out in the book world. So kudos to Les Zig for carving out a niche in the publishing world. I also appreciated the conclusion to this novel, it isn’t predictable and it is very much suited to the overall direction of this novel.
A word of warning, unfortunately a couple of aspects in this novel didn’t quite work for me. August Falling contains some graphic sex scenes, but I was able to see that these sequences were in keeping with the direction of the novel. I also had some trouble with placement of explicit language in places, particularly the use of the c-word. Although this isn’t to my personal taste, some readers will be able to overlook this issue.
My final verdict? August Falling is an introspective tale and it offers a very contemporary glance at a man reconciling his past, present, future and belief system. The writing is fresh and sharp. I look forward to exploring more books from Les Zig in the near future.
*Please note that a free copy of this book was provided to me for review purposes through Beauty & Lace and Pantera Press. To read the original review on the Beauty & Lace website please visit here: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...
3.5 stars
August Falling is Australian author Les Zig’s second novel, following his debut, Just Another Week in Suburbia, which was shortlisted for the Hachette Manuscript Development Program. Les Zig’s latest novel is a strong composition, marked by well defined characters and thought provoking themes. August Falling would be an ideal book club choice, as there are a plethora of themes and ideas to discuss. There is a great set of accompanying book club notes at the close of the book, which would support book club discussions.
Described by fellow author Laurie Steed as ‘raw, poignant ad unflinching’, August Falling is the very raw tale of a man trying to cope with the ghosts of his past and reconcile this emotional baggage with his future. When we meet Les Zig’s lead, August, he is nursing a broken heart. A debilitating break up has left him in pieces. His life is uninspiring; he works in a call centre (perhaps one of the worst jobs on earth!) and he resides in a poky flat. He has been dreaming of publishing a book he has on the go and to top it all off, August is socially inept. By chance, August meets Julie, a woman he is immediately drawn to. Julie is quite the opposite of August, she is resolute and assured. She has a fairly heartbreaking background and she is dedicated to caring for her infirm aunt. As August begins to open up and let Julie into his life, a big secret about his new love interest is revealed. This secret has the power to make or break this new couple and it may have August retreating back to his old self. August Falling is a book that considers the past and the power it has over us.
When I read a book I always like to absorb the acknowledgements section. I noted in August Falling that the author of this novel, Les Zig, sites the influence of an Australian author I absolutely love, Kim Lock, in the building process of August Falling. It sent a sense of excitement through me and I was definitely very enthusiastic about delving into this one. I also love to discover new Australian authors, so August Falling had great initial appeal.
I got a strong feeling of Graeme Simsion as I read August Falling, if you are a fan of his work (I am) I’m sure this novel which sit well with you. Zig’s lead protagonist August has shades of Don Tillman, Simsion’s lead and the humour lines are markedly similar. August has a complicated and sad back story. He has been cut badly in the past and he now carries around a lot of baggage. August is quite flawed, he has trouble interacting and socialising with others. He also has a self defeatist attitude. It is good to see August blossom as the book progresses and step outside his comfort zone. Sometimes it is hard not to want to shake August in the decisions he makes. His single minded nature at times did get under my skin, but he has his endearing moments too. I particularly liked his relationship with his dear and caring sister Gen. I also enjoyed the narrative thread that revolves around August’s writing and his hopes for his book, it was an interesting touch.
Supporting August are some memorable side characters and of course Julie, August’s love interest. When Julie enters to picture the book has a markedly changed outlook, which I liked. Julie is outlined well by Zig and her secret, which delivered a whopping plot twist, was quite unexpected on my behalf! The scenario Les Zig presents definitely makes the reader think once or twice about what they would do if they were placed in the same bind as August!
As we are warned in the hooking first line of August Falling, this is no straightforward romance and walk in the park style love story. It opens up the wounds of love, lust and relationships. There are scabs, nasty ones, but there is also hope and opportunities for change. The dialogue and sense of realism, an almost no holds back style of exploring modern relationships from a refreshing male point of view, was very much welcomed by this reader. I think there needs to be more of this style of modern life drama out in the book world. So kudos to Les Zig for carving out a niche in the publishing world. I also appreciated the conclusion to this novel, it isn’t predictable and it is very much suited to the overall direction of this novel.
A word of warning, unfortunately a couple of aspects in this novel didn’t quite work for me. August Falling contains some graphic sex scenes, but I was able to see that these sequences were in keeping with the direction of the novel. I also had some trouble with placement of explicit language in places, particularly the use of the c-word. Although this isn’t to my personal taste, some readers will be able to overlook this issue.
My final verdict? August Falling is an introspective tale and it offers a very contemporary glance at a man reconciling his past, present, future and belief system. The writing is fresh and sharp. I look forward to exploring more books from Les Zig in the near future.
*Please note that a free copy of this book was provided to me for review purposes through Beauty & Lace and Pantera Press. To read the original review on the Beauty & Lace website please visit here: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...
July 22, 2018
For me, this was a quick read - the story of a man recovering from a bad relationship, who becomes infatuated by a mysterious woman with a tattoo in his local cafe. But as the author states, ".. this isn't a love story, it's a story of acceptance and hope. And of finding yourself." So when August (our narrator) finally overcomes some of his social awkwardness and plucks up the courage to talk to Julie, the tale picks up speed as we are taken through the heady days of a new relationship.
It's a light easy read - a narrative of two strangers, with secrets who embark on a new relationship together - but can those secrets in the past be overcome or will they hinder.
It's a light easy read - a narrative of two strangers, with secrets who embark on a new relationship together - but can those secrets in the past be overcome or will they hinder.
August 6, 2018
We are warned in the beginning that this is not a love story, which for me was a relief. I wanted a brief break from thrillers, and this contemporary novel about an angsty and anxious youngish man called August, seemed like it would fit the bill. Unfortunately, not much of interest happened for the first two thirds, but when something finally does, it got a lot more enjoyable.
August is a rather socially inept singleton who lives in an unspecified Australian city, works in a call-centre where he solicits donations for Heart Disease Research, and spends every evening trying an failing to complete his first novel. His sister, Gen, rings him every evening to make sure he's not suicidal. Traumatised by the break-up of his family the previous year, he avoids relationships, even with his friends, but when a good-looking young woman with a partly concealed tattoo on her lower back starts eating at his favourite cafe, he feels compelled to get to know her. Amazed that she is willing to go out with him, and feeling unworthy of her, he suddenly finds himself in a highly accelerated relationship (they sleep together the first night and by day six feel settled enough not to have sex!) Just when he believes his luck has finally turned though, he finds out Julie's secret...
This was well-written with an eclectic cast of side characters, from Julie's "sweepy" boss, lecturer Don, to August's potty mouthed sister (I didn't like the excessive use of the c word, once would've been enough, having a female character say it doesn't make it ok). August's dilemma did make me think - what was Julie supposed to do? There was a good list of Book Club questions at the end, I'm just not in that kind of book club. There were some humorous moments, but mostly it's fairly serious.
For potential NetGalley reviewers, be warned this is only available for Adobe Editions, not Kindle, which limits who can access it. I could read it on my iPad, just found I got easily distracted by notifications etc, and didn't like reading it at night. This won't be an issue once it's for sale, I assume. Luckily it's quite a short book. I loved the ending - it was realistic but hopeful.
3.5 stars, rounded down for the annoying and unnecessary use of the present tense. My thanks to NetGalley and Pantera Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August is a rather socially inept singleton who lives in an unspecified Australian city, works in a call-centre where he solicits donations for Heart Disease Research, and spends every evening trying an failing to complete his first novel. His sister, Gen, rings him every evening to make sure he's not suicidal. Traumatised by the break-up of his family the previous year, he avoids relationships, even with his friends, but when a good-looking young woman with a partly concealed tattoo on her lower back starts eating at his favourite cafe, he feels compelled to get to know her. Amazed that she is willing to go out with him, and feeling unworthy of her, he suddenly finds himself in a highly accelerated relationship (they sleep together the first night and by day six feel settled enough not to have sex!) Just when he believes his luck has finally turned though, he finds out Julie's secret...
This was well-written with an eclectic cast of side characters, from Julie's "sweepy" boss, lecturer Don, to August's potty mouthed sister (I didn't like the excessive use of the c word, once would've been enough, having a female character say it doesn't make it ok). August's dilemma did make me think - what was Julie supposed to do? There was a good list of Book Club questions at the end, I'm just not in that kind of book club. There were some humorous moments, but mostly it's fairly serious.
For potential NetGalley reviewers, be warned this is only available for Adobe Editions, not Kindle, which limits who can access it. I could read it on my iPad, just found I got easily distracted by notifications etc, and didn't like reading it at night. This won't be an issue once it's for sale, I assume. Luckily it's quite a short book. I loved the ending - it was realistic but hopeful.
3.5 stars, rounded down for the annoying and unnecessary use of the present tense. My thanks to NetGalley and Pantera Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2018
We meet August when he is absolutely miserable and chronically depressed following an obviously traumatic breakup some time ago with his partner. There’s also a mystery, something regarding the breakup is not quite right. August’s working in a call centre, which in itself is also fairly miserable, as people heap abuse on him as he cold calls for charitable donations. He’s inept in social situations and surrounded by people equally inept, apart from his twin sister, who is pretty much his lifeline. He’s instantly attracted to Julie, another customer at the café where he has lunch, and manages – spectacularly ineptly – to make contact with her. She is lovely, and to his astonishment she doesn’t seem to mind how much of a loser he is. His life slowly begins to get back on track, just from her simple acceptance. Suddenly, just when things are really going well, August is blindsided with an unexpected moral dilemma of huge proportions, something every average person would probably struggle with – and the struggle is real. The book goes into this with graphic and explicit detail, way out of my comfort zone. 3 stars only because I couldn’t cope with the subject matter, but others will find it gripping. Thanks to Pantera Press, and Beauty & Lace Bookclub for the reading copy.
September 30, 2018
August Falling
is a refreshing read within the context of the often over-stylised drama-romance genre this novel sometimes pokes fun at. Protagonist August is utterly lacking confidence in social situations, but his inner voice is sharp-witted with a writer’s keen eye for observation. These elements combined yield a conversational narrative bursting with endearing candour.
Read full review >>
January 23, 2020
You can't help but feel sorry for August who seems so unlucky in love but this isn't actually a love story. Any romantics out there may wish him to hook up with the woman he likes but it's really about him finding his place in the world in his own socially inept way. This is an easy read and will leave you thinking. This is why I read. I want to dive into a story and have it leave me thinking about it afterwards. This would make a great bookgroup book because of the discussion that would follow afterwards.
June 1, 2023
Sitting down and writing this review honestly was hard. I have so many thoughts and feelings and I just don't think I know the words to describe how to describe them. I loved August, the main character, and although he frustrated me sometimes I understand why he did what he did. I loved Julie too and although the ending was not what I wanted it to be I understand why it ended the way it did. Full review will be on https://www.instagram.com/maggie_andt...
April 11, 2019
Story about struggles to deal with your past and how to handle things in the present. Les Zig always has an interesting story that you can suck it up just in the blink of an eye! This book taught me that time doesn't heal everything but acceptance will heal everything.
PS: Prepare your sandwich before you read this book!
PS: Prepare your sandwich before you read this book!
July 17, 2022
This should have been marketed as a men's rom com. It's very funny
September 6, 2024
3.5★
August Priddy is foundering after a particularly bad divorce. He is in a nowhere job, living in a soulless box, has no self-esteem or confidence & little hope for the future, he can't even write anymore; the only good thing in his life is the love of his twin sister, Genevieve. Meeting Julie Hall begins to give his life direction. Despite his inadequacies she seems to like him for who he is but when Julie's secret is exposed, can he offer her the same courtesy?
I thought I wasn't going to get on with August at first because his hopelessness & ineffectuality irritated me, but the humour in his interactions with others kept me going until I got into the swing of things. True, this isn't really a romance, or not entirely, but if it were written by a woman with a female lead, I have no doubt it would be categorised as chick lit, so what do we call this? Lad lit or dick lit, I wonder? At any rate, I found it a surprisingly good read despite some jarring moments.
I liked it well enough to be interested in reading something else from this author, & I see he also writes YA as Lazaros Zigomanis.
August Priddy is foundering after a particularly bad divorce. He is in a nowhere job, living in a soulless box, has no self-esteem or confidence & little hope for the future, he can't even write anymore; the only good thing in his life is the love of his twin sister, Genevieve. Meeting Julie Hall begins to give his life direction. Despite his inadequacies she seems to like him for who he is but when Julie's secret is exposed, can he offer her the same courtesy?
I thought I wasn't going to get on with August at first because his hopelessness & ineffectuality irritated me, but the humour in his interactions with others kept me going until I got into the swing of things. True, this isn't really a romance, or not entirely, but if it were written by a woman with a female lead, I have no doubt it would be categorised as chick lit, so what do we call this? Lad lit or dick lit, I wonder? At any rate, I found it a surprisingly good read despite some jarring moments.
I liked it well enough to be interested in reading something else from this author, & I see he also writes YA as Lazaros Zigomanis.
June 28, 2018
I couldn't help but love how awkward August was in the first half of the book. His journey to self-confidence and awareness takes time and with a sister who doesn't shy away from speaking her mind, this book's quite interesting.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance digital copy, I really do wish it was available for Kindle reading.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance digital copy, I really do wish it was available for Kindle reading.
August 5, 2018
‘This isn’t a love story. It involves love, and things related to love. But it’s not neat. It’s not easy.’
Meet August Priddy. August is trying to recover from a relationship breakup. He’s working in a call centre and living in a small flat. August is also trying to write a book, but that isn’t going well for him either. Sigh. And then he sees a woman in his local café: she looks intriguing, but can August summon up the courage to speak to her? August has a twin sister, Gen, who looks out for him and encourages him. Eventually, August speaks to the woman (her name is Julie) and they begin to spend time together. This new relationship seems to bring them both happiness.
But Julie has a secret in her past, and once he learns what it is, August isn’t sure that he can live with it. August has his own secrets as well. Can this new relationship survive the weight of the past?
I found this an engaging and thoughtful read. I wanted to reach into the pages and shake August, to remind him of what he might lose if he couldn’t accept that people’s pasts are not the only influences on the future. I wanted him to be more flexible, to take opportunities rather than be paralysed into inertia by obsessive analysis. I wanted August to discover who he was, instead of being defined by how others saw him.
This novel is a reminder that the past can weigh heavily, but we can make choices. What choices will August and Julie make? What choices would you make is a similar situation?
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Pantera Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Meet August Priddy. August is trying to recover from a relationship breakup. He’s working in a call centre and living in a small flat. August is also trying to write a book, but that isn’t going well for him either. Sigh. And then he sees a woman in his local café: she looks intriguing, but can August summon up the courage to speak to her? August has a twin sister, Gen, who looks out for him and encourages him. Eventually, August speaks to the woman (her name is Julie) and they begin to spend time together. This new relationship seems to bring them both happiness.
But Julie has a secret in her past, and once he learns what it is, August isn’t sure that he can live with it. August has his own secrets as well. Can this new relationship survive the weight of the past?
I found this an engaging and thoughtful read. I wanted to reach into the pages and shake August, to remind him of what he might lose if he couldn’t accept that people’s pasts are not the only influences on the future. I wanted him to be more flexible, to take opportunities rather than be paralysed into inertia by obsessive analysis. I wanted August to discover who he was, instead of being defined by how others saw him.
This novel is a reminder that the past can weigh heavily, but we can make choices. What choices will August and Julie make? What choices would you make is a similar situation?
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Pantera Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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September 12, 2018Didn't really enjoy this one
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