The Other Half of Augusta Hope

by Joanna Glen

Augusta Hope has never felt like she fits in.

At six, she’s memorising the dictionary. At seven, she’s correcting her teachers. At eight, she spins the globe and picks her favourite country on the sound of its name: Burundi.
 
And now that she's an adult, Augusta has no interest in the goings-on of the small town where she lives with her parents and her beloved twin sister, Julia.

When an unspeakable tragedy upends everything in Augusta's life, she's propelled headfirst into the unknown. She's determined to find where she belongs – but what if her true home, and heart, are half a world away?

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club, Family, Romance, Literary Fiction, Ebooks

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 13, 2019

About the author

I am a former teacher and headteacher, now a novelist, who lives by the sea in Brighton, on the south coast of England.

I'm a lifelong hispanophile, with a passion for Andalusia, all of it, but in particular the beguiling city of Córdoba and the glorious coast of Cádiz.

You can expect Spain and sunshine and sea and beach and snowstorms and octopi and wildness and birds and travel and wonder as the backdrop to my characters' lives.

I love to explore relationships in all their layered complexity. That's what my books are about: who we are and how we live and love.

The pain and the joy. The living and the dying. The love and the hope.

My next book comes out in June 2026.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanna Glen's extraordinary debut is fiercy intelligent, lyrical, interspersed with the magic of Lorca's poetry, questions of what home and family means, amidst our contemporary world and the ills that afflict it. Living in Hedley, Augusta is the younger twin, her beautiful sister, Julia, who is supportive of her and her world, despite the fact that the sisters could not be more different. Julia is the favoured daughter, much more conventional, everything their parents wish Augusta was. Augusta is more challenging, so very bright, obsessed with words and her favourite book, the dictionary, but so socially awkward, correcting teachers, so inquiring about everything, so no, she really does not fit in a family that is so restrictive in its world view. Augusta wants to escape the narrow confines of her existence, and at a young age, she decides Burundi is her most favourite country, as she obsessively sets out to find out all that she can about it.

Augusta's close bond with Julia continues until the point that Julia meets Diego, after which the spaces between them grow. Then a tragedy occurs that breaks Augusta, although she is unable to shed tears. Far away, Parfait and his family are wrecked, devastated and broken by the unimaginable horrors and terrors of Burundi's nightmare civil war. Parfait is desperate to escape the war torn country, he dreams of Spain, making a life there as he seeks all that is missing in Burundi, freedom, safety and security. He sets out on his journey, accompanied by his brother, Zion, his sorrow compounded by further tragedies. Augusta, for whom Spain feels more like home than Hedley, and Parfait, with his huge heart, are destined to meet and connect.

Glen's impressive novel touches on the lives that lie behind Europe's refugee crisis, the losses and darkness experienced in their different ways by an Augusta that manages to snag a piece of my heart, as indeed does the incredible Parfait, so tenacious and determined, and the relationship, that against all the odds, which springs up between the two of them. All though it may not sound like it, Glen infuses her writing with humour amidst the grief and loss, in a narrative lifted by hope and light. This is a brilliant, beautifully written read, emotionally heartbreaking, of a search to fit in and a sense of identity, of families that may not always be what we need them to be, of lives torn asunder, and an exploration of the notion of what home is. Highly recommended. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

[Dem · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

A skilfully woven and thought provoking read that was entertaining and quirky. I only realised on finishing the novel that this was Joanna Glen’s first novel and it certainly packs a punch.

Augusta Hope has never felt like she fits in. At six she is memorising the dictionary, at seven she’s correcting her teachers and at eight she spins the globe and picks her favourite country on the sound of it’s name Burundi. As Augusta and her twin sister Julia grow up in a small town in England, Augusta longs for change and when a tragedy occurs, she’s determined to make a different life for herself.
There is a secondary storyline of a young man called Parfait who lives in Burundi. His country is at war and he is forced to flee along with his brother.

This is a slow burn and one of those books worth sticking with. It’s not full of twists and turns and yet the characters are so well formed and realistic that I connected with them and the story so easily and I think many will identify with Augusta Hope and her family. I enjoyed both storylines and loved the short chapters. A story of family, life and coping with the challenges that life throws along the way.

I listened to this one on audible and the narration was excellent. This book reminded me a little of When God Was a Rabbit . Certainly one for book club list as lots of discussion here.

[Phrynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story told in dual narratives which did not link up until very late in the book, although there were huge hints all the way through as to what would eventually happen.

I was enjoying it very much until somewhere in the middle when I knew what the outcome was going to be and wanted to get there. At that point the switching from Augusta to Parfait and back began to irritate and the book seemed to move very slowly. Several characters were introduced but never developed and then the final scenes were over too fast. I really felt the author missed an opportunity there to bring a little tension to the book - some 'will they, won't they' stress instead of which I never doubted the ultimate outcome.

The character of Augusta was terrific and she carried the whole book. Parfait though had the most interesting story about escape from his war torn country and his treacherous journey to Spain. All in all the book was entertaining, interesting and worth reading, just a little bit too slow moving in parts.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a young woman called Augusta Hope who first loses and then finds her other half. Born a twin, Augusta feels she doesn't fit in to the small town in England where her family are happy to live and dreams of escaping to more exotic places. She loves words and reading and asks too many questions. Even her parents think she is weird and wonder why she can't be more normal like her twin Julia, who is her only friend and supporter.

On the other side of the world, a young boy called Parfait is growing up amongst civil war and poverty and dreaming of a better life for himself and his family. Augusta and Parfait will both suffer unimaginable tragedies as they search for a place to be themselves and finally call home.

This was a gorgeous book, very beautifully written with Parfait's alternating narratives mirroring Augusta's. At times humorous, this is not a light hearted read as it deals with some serious issues, but it will definitely pull at your heart strings as these two young people struggle to find their place in our modern world.

With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia for a digital ARC to read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Augusta Hope and her twin sister Julia are bought up in a small town, but they are like chalk and cheese in their personalities. “Augusta loves words like other people love sweets or ice cream” and dreams of traveling to more exotic places whereas Julia is more of a homebody falling in love and marrying a neighbour happy with her life.

I Loved that Augusta was completely unique, she reads a lot and asks lots of questions. Her favourite book is the dictionary and she soaks up general knowledge like a sponge!! People including her family think she is slightly strange and her sister is her only close friend. I could emphasis with her as I was the same as a child, a proper bookworm!!

When Augusta’s life is turned upside down by a family tragedy, she follows her dreams of travelling to find a place she can call home.

Parfait lives with his brothers and sisters in Burundi and dreams of leaving the civil war and poverty behind.

The 2 stories run parallel to each other and you know that their paths will cross but not how or where.

A beautifully written book full of emotion about love, happiness and finding a place where you feel like you can belong. I Felt from the beginning it was fate that would bring Parfait and Augusta together and I was not disappointed in the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley in exchange for a review.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Augusta is a twin. Her sister Julia is the oldest twin. Augusta took that long to be be born that sisters were born on different months and different months. They are like chalk and cheese. Augusta has never fitted in, her idea of having fun is reading her dictionary and learning new words. She decides that Burundi is her favourite country and she's eager to find out all she can about it. Meanwhile, in Burundi, Parfait's family have been raped, tortured and killed by soldiers in a horrific civil war. His dreams are to escape but he is also duty bound to look out for his younger siblings.

The story is told over two decades from the 1990's. Augusta was a challenging child. We follow the story of the girls as they move from adolescent into adults. Parfait is desperate to escape from Africa and start anew life with his siblings. The story is told in alternating parts. The stories are beautifully intertwined together. This is a well written story that I was quickly caught up in. This is the authors debut novel.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author Joanna Glen for my ARC In exchange for an honest review.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I think about The Other Half of Augusta Hope the more the story really hits me. I was not sure about it at first, it felt slow and I was a bit unsure where this was going to go. The writing is not your usual style, a lot of poetry and different languages. But that is the whole point - Augusta Hope is not your usual type of girl . This book is definitely a grower. It is emotional, funny and sad and very clever.

Augusta is a twin - but born in August where her twin Julia was born in July. The girls could not be more different. Augusta has never fit in - her idea of fun is reading the dictionary and learning new words, At a young age she decides that Burundi is her favourite country and sets out to learn all she can about it. Her life is a rollercoaster of events. We also hear about Parfait - a refugee from Africa who escapes a dangerous life to Europe to begin again. Told from alternative points of view we learn so much about their lives and feelings..

This book is definitely worth a go - and sticking with. Thanks to Harper Collins Australia and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

But don’t we all have experiences all the time that are only ours. None of us can ever imagine being someone else. Isn’t that why being human is lonely? Because however many words there are in a language, they never express the actual thing, the actual feeling, the actual being ourselves.

A story told in two sets of alternating first person chapters, narrated over a period of 20+ years.

One is by the titular English girl, starting with her childhood, growing up in a small town in Hertfordshire with her conservative parents (her father running a school uniform shop) and her one-day older twin sister Julia. Julia is: settled and happy; pretty; popular and extrovert; perhaps unimaginative but thoughtfully sensitive to the feelings of those around her.

Augusta is in many ways her opposite: desperate to escape from her family existence; plain and slow to physically mature; obsessed with words, language and factual knowledge about the wider world; often taking refuge in trivia and etymology rather than engaging with the tensions and concerns of those closest to her. Both fall in love at 9 with Diego the son of their new Spanish neighbours, but after the family use their neighbours’ holiday home for their first foreign holiday, a tension exists which has much wider repercussions over time on the seemingly privileged if mundane lives of the Hopes as tragedy leads to lasting trauma.

The second is by Parfait – a Hutu from Burundi who grows up among political chaos and terrible tribal civil war, which leads to the death of many of his family. Eventually he decides to escape the trauma, fleeing North across Africa to Tangier (most of this happening outside the narrative) with his younger brother who drowns as the two try to reach Spain. His story arc is almost the opposite of Augusta’s – earlier trauma, then tragedy and then years of gradual recovery.

In a near piece of metafictional conceit – Augusta is obsessed from a young age with Burundi, and after graduating from Durham with a Spanish literature degree, tries her hand at writing a novel set there, while working as a librarian, causing Julia (by now happily married to Diego) to ask:

‘Do you think you can write about a country you haven’t visited?’ I said to Julia. ‘You know more about it than the people who live there,’ she said. ‘But I guess it’s hard to imagine things we haven’t been through.’

Joanna Glen of course acknowledging that she is confronting the exact same issue in this novel. She gets around this issue well in my view: by placing most of Parfait’s life in Andalusia (where Joanna Glen herself studied and frequently travels), firstly as a casual worker and then post financial crash as an artist. Much of his feelings about his past life are explored obliquely through this lens – including via Flamenco dancing, Canto Jondo singing and Lorca’s poetry.

Southern Spain also forms a draw on Augusta, and early on we realise her present day interventions in her narrative are set there. She is struck from a very young age with the image of a caravan living gypsy in a nursery rhyme book, an image that stays with her even as she grows up and acts for her as a symbol of her desire to flee the claustrophobic-inducing life of suburbia and family.

And Andalusia is where the stories of Augusta and Parfait not just intersect but turn out to have their common tragic root.

I read this book due to its shortlisting for the 2019 Costa Book Awards in the First Novel category

I have to say I think it’s a perfect choice for that award. It has the level of character development, plot and emotional rollercoaster (I read a review that said the book “breaks your heart and also fills you with joy” and I think that sums the book up well) that would make it an excellent Book Group choice (so fitting my view of a typical Costa book). It is also a book I would not be surprised to see make the Women’s Prize longlist – to fit with the way that Prize typically mixes more literary books alongside more accessible ones.

None of this is to damn the book with faint praise – as Augusta herself has to reflect on her own judgement of what she sees as the parochial literary tastes of her home town, when she returns there after her graduation, different books suit different readers.

To Willow Crescent, where the roundabout pond had been filled in, and where people’s favourite books were not The Brothers Karamazov, not 1984, not Bleak House, not Don Quijote nor One Hundred Years of Solitude. But Bunnikin’s Picnic. And I knew I was wrong to judge them. And wrong to mind. They could like any books they wanted to like.

Also I like to read different books at different times and this book was perfectly timed for me after a period of reading Goldsmith Prize novels.

It is also I feel a very strong effort for a debut novel – not perfect but much more polished and controlled than most debut efforts (even compared to those that also get nominations for say recent Booker prizes).

Finally, this is a novel which in a clever juxtaposition examines both the unknown story behind well known tragedies (in this case migrant deaths trying to reach Europe) and the less headline (but still devastating) tragedies that affect the lives of those closer to home.

It is also one which also emphasises humanity, the need for empathy and of course hope.

A book which begins and ends with Ecclesiastes as well as including a simple but striking sudden realisation of the implications of the Nativity.

Recommended.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Augusta Hope has a brilliant mind, at six she could memorize the dictionary, at seven Augusta corrected her teacher’s mistakes, when she was eight she spun the globe and picked her favourite country. Burundi, a landlocked country and it’s part of Africa.

Augusta has a twin sister Julia, they grew up on Willow Court, in Hedley Green and are very different. Augusta likes horse riding and library club and Julia enjoys her dance classes. Augusta has no idea what she is going to do after she finishes university, Julia has her life all planned out, she’s going to marry her childhood sweetheart Diego and start at family.

When a double tragedy strikes the Hope family, Augusta’s life is turned upside down and she travels to Spain. The place where the family enjoyed a holiday years ago, here she meets Parfait a painter and he’s also lost people he loved. Parfait is from Burundi, Augusta’s favourite country and he surprised she's so knowledeable about his homeland. Augusta and Parfait share their sorrows and it’s almost like fate has brought them together.

I received a copy of The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia in exchange for an honest review. It’s a complex coming of age story, at times I struggled to understand Augusta's character and she's a rather quirky one. Three and a half stars from me, I enjoyed reading about Augusta's relationship with Julia, they shared a room and their thoughts growing up and the unexpected link at the end to Zion.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has created two stories from very different worlds running parallel very successfully and keeps the reader in suspense as to when they will finally merge together. It is Augusta's family's dramatic change in everyday life and tragedy that sees her young adulthood grow into one of some wisdom and one that finally merges with that of Parfait's.

Augusta is a twin with Julia but they have different birthdays because Augusta has taken longer to emerge and was born past the stroke of midnight into not only a new day but a new month. Chalk and cheese would best describe them; Julia is pretty, compliant and with a calm demeanor while Augusta is the exact opposite, one of those kids where "why" in their vocabulary is ever constant. Her father's exasperation with her is understandable, she questions and challenges everything. I loved Augusta, ever enquiring, prepared to speak her mind and dropping the odd slang word. Emerging into a teenager, the author has identified so clearly with this time of life and will have the reader splitting their sides with the teenage humour and in particular when "double entendre" is introduced. Augusta and Julia live in a quiet part of England where apart from houses being pulled down for a shopping centre it is an uneventful place. Augusta is a day dream traveller convinced that life has so much more to offer than spending it in the same village, Spain becoming her dream.

In another part of the world Parfait lives in Burundi, war torn Africa, Tutsi and Hutu. He is the eldest of seven children. This is such a sharp contrast to the safe life of the English family. Parfait, the eldest child has watched the death of his parents and slow destruction of his family from the repercussions of war. Understandably he is desperate for a safe place to live and through the influence of a Spanish priest dreams of a life in Spain. His young brother Zion is Parfait's shadow and shares the same dream. Two other surviving brothers, do not share this dream, the travel distance seems impossible and make their own decisions for a future life. Tragedy strikes one more time for Parfait but the strength of his character and determination see him rise above it all.

My thanks to Netgalley and Publishers HarperCollins Australia for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous story, 5 stars.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars.
Augusta Hope has never felt she belonged, not in her family, her school, her work situation or anywhere. She has an enquiring mind that seems to fixate on what others might, and often do, view as meaningless trivia and useless information. At eight she picks her favourite country by the sound of its name, Burundi. Others in her family tend to switch off once she starts in about this country. Even her twin sister Julia, struggles to understand where Augusta is coming from at times. And Augusta knows Julia is the favourite daughter. It seems there is nothing she can do to change that. Far away in the little known country of Burundi, Parfait has dreams of his own, that include leaving Burundi for Spain. Tragedy strikes both Augusta and Parfait. Can either of them move forward from the tragedy life has hit them with? What changes will both of them need to make?
This book is largely told from Augusta’s point of view with very short chapters from Parfait’s point of view interspersed. The writing style is interesting. It has lots of short sentences that the grammar police of old, who insisted a sentence must contain a verb and a subject etc would struggle to classify as sentences. It does however make for easy reading as one line moves effortlessly onto the next. Despite that and the two interesting characters, there were times when this story bogged down. More than once I considered abandoning it, as it was fairly predictable where it was heading. I didn’t give up it on it though there were times I skimmed a bit. And then the pace picked up again, so for me it was uneven in tone. Other parts had me captivated.
Given some of the content and the issues raised it is not hard to see why this novel was shortlisted for the authors’ club best first novel award.
I mostly enjoyed this story and would recommend it as worth reading. It will certainly be interesting to see what this writer tackles next.

[Tonkica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sporo, melankolično, dosadno. Možda bi smanjenje stranica pomoglo jer da se makne i pola knjige ne bi se puno toga izgubilo.

Dvije situacije u knjizi zanimljive, gdje sam kod prve dobila emociju i baš sam bila tužna. A druga je završetak koji je uguran u pedesetak stranica pa ispao zbrzan, nespetan i pretrpan. Meksička sapunica na američki način. :-/

Rečenice su jasno i lagano pisane pa nisam imala problema s čitanjem, osim što su me uspavljivala ponavljanja i nebitni opisi kako likova, tako i događaja i situacija u koje ih je autorica stavila. Ozbiljnost situacije oko države Burundi neodgovorno loše, usputno. :-(

Promišljanja o životu, obitelji, ljubavi, tuzi pronalazila sam i zapisala par citata uz koje sam se zamislila. Vjerujem da ću do kraja godine zaboraviti o čemu se u knjizi radilo, što je šteta jer sama ideja nije toliko loša, samo jako razvučena i s nespretnim krajem za koji bih (u usporedbi s ostalim dijelovima knjige) rekla čak i pretjeranim.

„Mama i tata te sjebu. Možda to ne namjeravaju, ali to ipak učine. Ispune te svojim manama, pa dodaju još koju, samo za tebe.“

„Ali neke stvari ne možete obećati. Ne možete obećati da će opet sve biti kao prije. Ništa nikada nije kao prije.“

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“‘So where is all that time, Augusta?’ he said. ‘Perhaps we’ll find it in heaven,’ I said, which was a surprising thing to say, and came out of my mouth without me thinking about it. ‘Or would it be hell?’ said Mr Sánchez. ‘If you found the past, all piled up by the side of the road. All the things you’d ever said. All the things you’d ever thought. All the things you’d ever done.’”

The Other Half of Augusta Hope is the first novel by British author and teacher of Spanish, Joanna Glen. In the beginning, the other half of Augusta Hope is, of course, her (by minutes) older twin sister, Julia. For twin sisters, they are very different, in appearance and character. “Julia, fair, quiet and contained, happy inside herself, inside the house, humming; and me, quite the opposite, straining to leave, dark, outspoken, walking in the wind, railing.”

Still, they are each other’s home, much more than the house at Number One Willow Crescent, Hedley Green. “You feel her tears before they fall – and you want to stop them, you so want to stop them, though you can’t, that’s the truth of it. You hear her laugh before it comes, and hearing her laugh makes you laugh too. Her lovely bright laugh. In this way, your twin is your home.”

But something in that lifelong connection breaks after a certain vacation morning in La Higuera, Spain. For a long time, Augusta just doesn’t know why. To Augusta, La Higuera feels more like home than Hedley Green, but it's where the sparkle disappeared from Julia’s eyes.

Meanwhile, in Burundi, the never-ending violence and bloodshed and political upheaval has Parfait Nduwimana deciding that he will seek peace in Spain. His devoted younger brother, Zion does not hesitate to accompany him. Their plan is to walk to Tangiers, then borrow a boat to cross to what they are convinced will be paradise.

With these twin narratives, Glen tells a story of two people whose need to escape eventually sees their paths cross, if ever so fleetingly at first. Glen’s characters are no stereotypes: they have depth and develop as they deal with life’s challenges. Young Augusta, precocious, fascinated with words and language, and given to unfiltered comments on life, is quirky and funny; adult Augusta, sometimes a bit prickly and insensitive, is not instantly appealing, but by the conclusion, is likely to have grown on the reader.

Although the story progresses over some two decades from the nineties, with their attitudes and mindset, Stanley and Jilly Hope seem to be firmly stuck in the sixties. But Augusta wonders “isn’t it the job of mothers and fathers to love first, and to love equally, and to love better than their children? Or was I supposed to help them love me by being what they wanted me to be?” She realises for that she would need to be Julia.

Glen’s prose is often exquisite: “Burundi Burundi Burundi. I said it so many times it stopped meaning anything. It was like the sea lapping against my mind” and “the hat-man with the ponytail moved to a stool over in the corner, and he closed his eyes, and he opened his mouth, and he started to sing, and his voice split up into strands, fraying, as if there was blood on his vocal cords, or in his heart. The man in the vest picked up his guitar, which turned out, indeed, to be a living thing, and a woman appeared from behind the curtain of a doorway, with a black shawl around her shoulders, holding her skirt. She started to dance” are examples.

She gives her characters words of wisdom: “the people we like, and might even love, will still disappoint us – in the same way, I suppose, as we disappoint them” and insightful observations: “Our grieving was an exchange of cakes through the winter because sometimes the only things you can do in response to big things are small things”, also “‘It’s weird the way we keep our brains in our pockets now,’ I said. ‘Do you think our brains will gradually evolve to hold less and less information? And soon we’ll be Neanderthals again but with iPhones?’”

The plight of refugees, Spanish poetry, a hundred-year-old gypsy caravan, painted tin daffodils, and evocative art feature in this tale. Death and disability, resulting in copious grief and guilt and heartache, lends a rather dark and sad aspect to the middle of the story, but the uplifting ending is truly wonderful: hopeful and heart-warming.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley, Harper Collins Australia and The Borough Press. The erratic formatting in the kindle version of this review copy will doubtless have been corrected in the final version and does not really affect the reading experience.

[Jesika · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this book a lot - there are parts of it that are really, really well done. Those parts pack an emotional punch and really delve into the idea that we take our most important relationships in life for granted - and, as such, it shocks us to our core to find out they may not be something we can rely on forever after all.

The book is written from two perspectives - that of Augusta and of her other half Parfait. The main issue I had was wanting to spend much, much more time on the objectively more interesting character of Parfait than you get to. He is almost an after thought, a bit part and Augusta gets 80% of the page time. 50-50 and I think this book would have been much more powerful to read on the basis that the difficulties of life as a migrant would have had to be included in the book in a much more individual way.

I did enjoy the way the book shows that you can be meant to find solace in another person, I just felt that this book did very little to handle the themes of the migrant crisis and life away from your family as it did others (grief, society's terrifying attitude to those with learning disabilities).

[Kylie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book centres on family, grief, loss and being true to yourself. Never giving up hope that things have a purpose.
Through the book you follow the life of Augusta Hope who has a twin sister Julia. Julia is everything that her parents want her to be, while Augusta is the stone in the shoe. The awkward one, the inappropriate one, the one who wants to escape her droll English suburb and find 'duende' a Spanish word for 'spirit'. She loves words and maps and sees these as a form of escape.
Meanwhile in an African village in Burundi, Parfait is a young man whose family are tortured, raped, killed by soldiers in a horrific civil war. He too dreams of escape, but at the same time feels duty bound to look out for his younger siblings.
This is a very beautifully told story of despair and the ugly side of human nature, in a way that will make you laugh and cry.
Highly recommended, thank you Netgalley, Harper Collins Publishers Australia and The Borough Press for the opportunity to review this digital ARC.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanna Glen's debut novel of family, loss and belonging didn't have quite the emotional impact on me as her follow-up, All My Mothers, but I can see the connections/progression and this one was still a great read in its own right. If I'd read it first, I may have rated it slightly higher. Both narrators were excellent in this audiobook edition.

Augusta doesn't really seem to fit her family. Close to her twin but unlike her in any of the most obvious ways, she doesn't understand her parents or their lives and their ability to be content with such a small, suburban, safe life. She reads the dictionary while dreaming of somewhere else.

Parfait doesn't really seem to fit his country. It has taken his parents and destroyed other loved ones, and there has been just so much bloodshed. He looks after his remaining siblings as best he can while dreaming of somewhere else.

Arriving in the southern Spanish coastal town of La Higuera, a chain of events sets the lives of both teens on a devastating path.

Some elements of the story were predictable in fact, but still often surprising in execution, which I appreciated. Augusta gets a lot more page-time than Parfait though, and I would have liked to get to know him and his story a little better. Overall, a satisfying read and worth getting hold of the audio edition.

[Fantastiškų KŽL · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - 4 :)


https://knyguziurkes.wordpress.com/20...

[Jo - •.★Reading Is My Bliss★.• · Rating 5 out of 5]

Augusta and Julia are twins, the only children born to their parents. Their parents own a small retail shop and each year they close for two weeks for an annual family holiday that is carefully planned out for months. They live a very happy, routined, family life. Her father is very British and proud of being a provider for his family.

Augusta and Julia may have shared a womb but they could not have turned out more different. Julia is pretty much the perfect daughter, she does okay in school and hopes to one day fall in love, marry, have children and live in her hometown with her husband. Augusta cannot wait to one day leave her family home and see the world. She has a thirst for learning and loves to read. In fact, reading the dictionary gives her immense pleasure, especially when she discovers a new word.

Augusta is a challenging child for her parents as she has always questioned things and loves to spout off random facts about the things she has read about. She is learning to speak three other languages and plans to write a novel set in a small place in Africa that she once saw on her world globe. She also dreams of one day living in a caravan and travelling all over Spain, whilst writing her book.

We follow the girls as they move from adolescence into adulthood. Augusta heads off to college and Julia marries her highschool sweetheart. However, a lot of things happen over the years within their family dynamic and some of them are absolutely heart breaking.

Whilst this story is being told, there is also another one playing out for another family, far away from Britain. We are introduced to Parfait who is desperate to escape Africa and begin a new and safer life for himself and his siblings. Although his story is very different to Augusta’s there are similarities in that they both want to escape the lives they are living into something better.

This story is told in alternating parts and spans over a number of years. The author does a brilliant job intertwining the two stories. I went into this story with no expectations and was unexpectedly blindsided by the emotions I felt. I got completely swept up in this magnificent, unique tale. It is so wonderful to read something completely different and a bit outside my usual genre. Fabulous read!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Other Half of Augusta Hope is about twins Augusta and Julia who lives in a little town in England. Augusta is the odd twin. She reminded me a bit of Eleanor Oliphant. She is an odd child and loves words. Her favourite book is the dictionary. She finds hard to fit in life. Her sister Julia is the ‘normal’ child and is always there for her sister. The story continues telling us of the summers they spend travelling with their parents. They share everything together until she meets Diego and both girls drift apart and then tragedy strikes. And Augusta is never the same again
The story has an alternate one. The story of Parfait, who lives in the town called Burundi in Africa. He has hopes and dreams, to make a better life for himself and his family ad escape the Civil war. He decides to buy a boat with his brother Zion they sail away to Spain.
This is a beautifully emotionally written novel by Joanna Glen. It is one of them thought provoking books that will keep you thinking about long after you read it. 3.5 half stars from me.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I just read chick lit? If I did, it wasn’t my intention. Not having read any before, I’m not sure it is. I’m also not saying there’s anything wrong with the genre if it’s what you like but it’s not my thing.

The storytelling device is to alternate chapters between two characters, one in England and one in Burundi. It’s not a method I’m particularly fond of but it worked reasonably well. Both are children when we first meet them and we follow their lives through to their mid twenties. Burundi becomes war torn and Parfait decides to flee to Spain with his younger brother in the hope of making a better life there. Augusta lives in Hedley Green with her parents and her twin sister, Julia. The sisters are chalk and cheese. Augusta is an eager learner, always wanting to learn new words, new languages, and share new facts with others, most of whom think she’s a bit odd. She’s very independent and wants to make her own way in life. Julia, on the other hand, is the perfect daughter, not particularly academic but prettier and destined for marriage and motherhood. Their parents would like them both to be like this! Both Augusta’s and Parfait’s lives later take an unexpectedly tragic turn and both suffer greatly from guilt and regret. To say more would be to give away the plot, such as it is, and I’m not one for spoilers.

The writing is good and I enjoyed reading it up until the direction both lives were taking became clear. It was all too neat and happy-ever-after ish, with unlikely coincidences and events that didn’t feel realistic to me. I was left with too many questions, not least of which is Parfait’s status. Did he apply for refugee or asylum status? What were his dealings with the authorities like? Given that we learn so much else about his life, there is a gaping hole here.

3 stars - I don’t mind that I spent time reading this but it wasn’t particularly challenging and the ending is trite.

[Liepa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skaitėsi lengvai, buvo įdomu, bet labai  didelio įspūdžio man nepaliko.
Pagrindinė veikėja Augusta turi seserį Juliją, jos- dvynės, papasakotas jų gyvenimas nuo mažų dienų iki suaugusio amžiaus. Nors knygos aprašyme pirmi sakiniai, kaip gerai pažįsta dvynės viena kitą:  "...pajuntu Julijos ašaras dar joms nepradėjus byrėti..." ir t.t., bet iš tiesų to ypatingo dvynių ryšio  čia visai nedaug. Kaip tik, daug dėmesio skiriama jų skirtumams-kad jos kaip Snieguolė ir Rožytė. Ypatingai pabrėžiama, kokia  Augusta kitokia- sąmojinga, kandi, svajotoja,  mylinti žodžius, kitas kalbas, protinga, poetė- rašytoja, keliautoja, o Julija paprasta, vidutiniokė, nori namų, šeimos, likti gimtajame mieste. Apskritai, stebino veikėjų vienpusiškumas- toks ir ne kitoks. Pvz., mama kvailoka, ir tiek  🤔
Nepaisant to,  skaitėsi greitai, užgriebta pabėgėlių iš Afrikos tema, pateiktą žinių apie Burundį, minimi  ispanų rašytojai. Buvo ir stiprokų  išgyvenimų, bet kažkaip, nelietė, nors tu ką... 
Taip buvau pasiilgus geros dramos, bet čia  nevisai tai, ko reikėjo būtent šiuo metu, kaip sakoma, knyga patinka tiek, kiek joje randi savęs,  tad tikiu, kažkam tikrai patiks.

[MetLineReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts of this story I loved and parts that absolutely draaaaaggggged. There were some fabulous characters (Parfait’s siblings) and others that were just glossed over, even though they contributed to the atmosphere (the Spanish friends)...
take one pair of twins with hopes and dreams, one boy to lust over, a boy who wants a better life out of Africa and some parents who have a favourite twin. Mix them all together and you have this interesting story. It could have been amazing - themes of first love, loss, determination, migration and finding your way - with the contrasts of fairly affluent Britain and war-torn Burundi.

Unfortunately this book feels like a mishmash of stories that don’t fully get explored - think there’s just too much going on. That said, I really did like the main characters but the parallel lives of Parfait and Augusta just didn’t work for me.

Interesting concept and potentially fascinating storyline that, for me, just didn’t work in its execution. 3*

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really strong debut novel by Joanna Glen which goes straight into my ‘desert island books’ shortlist. In it she talks much of the Spanish word ‘duende’ as being when several factors all combine at once to cause a perfect feeling and/or situation. I really feel she creates duende for the reader here too. It’s all too rare that a good plot coincides with beautiful, intelligent writing to give such an absorbing & poignant read but following Augusta & Parfait’s emotional journeys to happiness is definitely that rarity.

.”You spend the first part of life binding yourselves together and the second tearing yourselves apart. It’s like there’s something wrong with the system.”

[Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hugely enjoyable!! What a fantastic read! I love you Augusta :) :)
My View:
Intelligent, poignant, insightful, lyrical…this is a remarkable read.

This is a story, well actually two stories, that are the same but oh so different; modern England family life juxtaposed against lives in a war torn refugee camp. A story of isolation, of family, of identity, of violence, of death and coming home….Beautifully imagined and executed, heartbreakingly poignant

[Skirmantė Rugsėjis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sustojau ties 260 puslapiu, nes pervargau nuo šitos beprasmiškos knygos ir nebegaliu prisiversti užbaigti. Kūrinis nepatiko būtų per prastas išsireiškimas. Knyga žemiau tragedijos lygio - istorijos čia absoliučiai nėra, tik begalės visokiausių žodžių visokiausiomis kalbomis, stulpeliu rašomi sakiniai, kuriuose svaičiojama apie tai, kad veikėjai nereikia jokio jausmo, jokios meilės, tik bet kokio vyro liežuvio.
Iki pusės knygos pasakojama neva vaikystė, bet kai kur puslapiai tiesiog pildomi geografine, istorine ar politine informacija ir beriami sausi faktai kaip "Burundyje gyvena tiek ir tiek žmonių, oficialios kalbos tokios ir tokios...". Kai nusibosta taip, tuomet paimamas koks nors žodis ir veikėja svarsto apie jį anglų, ispanų, lotynų kalbomis, pavyzdžiui koks gilus žodis yra "gandas" ir kiek jis savyje talpina.
Dar buvo puslapių apie statomą Asdos parduotuvę (ir visas kitas), seserų pokalbių apie tai, kad tikroji vienatvė yra gailėtis prezervatyve plaukiojančių buožgalviukų ir šiek tiek filosofuojančio vaikino kažkur Burundyje. Ko jis norėjo taip ir nesupratau. Tiesą sakant, nesupratau ir ko norėjo bent vienas šios knygos veikėjas. Jie visi egzistuoja be jokio išsikelto tikslo, be jokių tęstinų ir svarbių įvykių, nebent kažkam patiks svaičiojimai apie tai, kad kažkieno krūtinė didesnė ar mažesnė ir todėl glamonių daugiau arba mažiau.
Iš pradžių gūžčiojau, paskui raukiausi, galiausiai ėmiau šlykštėtis ir čia viskas ką galiu pasakyti apie šią knygą.

[Theresa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those novels where you don’t really know, heading in, what you’re truly in for. The blurb gives the impression that this might be one of those stories where the character is sailing along, trying hard to discover who they really are, tragedy strikes its savage blow, levels them, and then before you can blink, they have emerged stronger and surer, knowing exactly who they are in this new and altered universe. It is to a certain extent, but it’s not quite as straightforward as all that either.

“I knew I was weird, but it was a weird I was starting to like now I had black-framed glasses and a blunt fringe and red lipstick and written-on Converse trainers with a mysterious blotchy green rectangle on the left-hand shoe.”

We meet Augusta right at the beginning of her life, born as a twin, yet just after midnight into the freshly minted month of August, giving her a different birthday to her sister, Julia. And from here on in, Augusta lives every second of her life proving herself different to her family, her neighbours, her friends, and pretty much everyone else she meets. She’s quirky and clearly smart, but she lacks grace and social skills; at times I found her endearing but this was outweighed by the times I found her wearisome. This was largely exacerbated by my one criticism of the novel: it takes a very long time for the story to reach its point. The unspeakable tragedy doesn’t occur until the 70 percent mark. Up until here, we’re really just going along for the ride that is Augusta’s life. This was, for the most part, entertaining, but I won’t lie, it did begin to slump about halfway, giving me pause to wonder where it was all headed. This is a good example of the tediousness of Augusta’s verbal outpouring:

“It was Easter, and Julia was arranging her pale pink roses from Diego in a glass jug.
‘Rose thorns aren’t actually thorns. They should be called prickles. They’re where the epidermis bulges outwards,’ I said. Julia nodded. ‘The Romans used to wear roses on strings around their necks,’ I said. ‘Anything said under the rose had to be kept a secret.’ Julia nodded. ‘A rose fossil was found in Colorado which was thirty-five million years old.’ Julia nodded. ‘Did you know that more than 80 per cent of the land in Zambia is covered in roses?’
‘No more,’ said Julia. ‘That’s enough. No more research, Aug. Let me love roses because I do.’
‘Do you honestly prefer not knowing all this stuff?’ I said.
‘We’re just different,’ said Julia.”

Once we reach the tragedy, the novel certainly picks up, but it also speeds up, so there could have been a bit more balance applied to the narrative. I don’t want to spoil the story for readers, but I also think it’s worth noting that there are some heavy themes explored, many of which may trigger some readers: war crimes, death, suicide, post-natal depression, still-birth, disability, grief, and guilt. So it’s not a light read, despite how entertaining Augusta often was. Yet the author handles these themes well, weaving them in and out of her story with precision, sometimes cutting deeply, other times with more subtlety. While this story may put you through the ringer, there is so much depth to it, so much to take away from it; it’s definitely worth the heartache.

“Yet it is so ordinary to be born, and so ordinary to die. 350,000 births per day, apparently. And 150,000 deaths. Approximately. Around the world. That’s 15,000 births and 6,300 deaths per hour. 250 births each minute and 105 deaths. Count to one. Four babies have arrived. Count to two. Two of us have left the world. Right now. As you click your fingers. If only we left the earth in pairs. Like animals leaving the ark. Two by two hurrah. Hand in hand. Or died together like roses on the same bush. It would be so much less scary.”

There is another point of view within this story, that of Parfait, who lives in Burundi, Augusta’s favourite country. Parfait and Augusta don’t know each other until almost at the end of the story, but we follow Parfait’s life alongside Augusta’s. Parfait’s story is punctuated with tragedy though, whereas Augusta’s culminates in it, yet as the two of them get older, there almost seems to be some cosmic connection between them. When they do finally meet, their friendship seems pre-ordained; it was an interesting exploration on coincidence and destiny.

“That’s when I saw it. She’d unwittingly got wrapped up in my story. This tragedy wasn’t only mine.”

This was definitely a novel that ebbed and flowed for me but it was well and truly worth reading. It’s beautifully written, and despite all of the heartache, it ends on a hopeful note.

“We walked out into the square in the warm evening air, which tickled my shoulders and smelled of honeysuckle and sea. The cobbles were lumpy beneath my espadrilles, and, as we walked along the beach road, the crickets were summer-crazy in the long dry grass, and the egrets were flying to the big old tree where they loved to perch, hundreds of them, lighting up the dark under the moon.”


Thanks is extended to HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a copy of The Other Half of Augusta Hope for review.

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
The Other Half of Augusta Hope is about feeling lost, finding hope, developing connections and accepting your identity. This debut novel by Joanna Glen is defined by exquisite prose, well defined characters and a parallel style narrative that will warm your heart.

Meet Augusta Hope, a woman who has never felt like she fits in. Augusta has a penchant for the written word and her favourite past time is to memorise the dictionary. From a tender age, Augusta understands the world from a very different set of eyes to everyone else. When she becomes an adult, Augusta has dreams of a life afar from her home town. But her love for her twin sister Julia and her parents keeps her rooted. When a terrible event occurs, it shakes Augusta to her very core. She is suddenly thrust into an uncomfortable realm of existence. Augusta must also work out what her true heart desires.

A book with a cover adorned with a cluster of gold embossed dragonflies, I surmised that this was going to be a light touch novel, perhaps with elements of humour and some life affirming situations. However, nestled beneath the pages of the debut novel by Joanna Glen is a strong story, matched with full bodied characters and heavy themes. If this sounds a little too rich for your tastes, The Other Half of Augusta Hope does contain some uplifting and hopeful moments to take away.

Running alongside the life story of Augusta Hope, an underdog character with some clear eccentricities, is the story of Parfait. It is unclear at first what the connection between these two characters will be, the reader is left in suspense almost, but it is worth the wait to see this thread flourish. I enjoyed the structure of the novel, as it ducks in and out of the lives of these two contrasted characters. Glen works hard to build our understanding of both these protagonists and their contrasted universes. I liked how one offset the other. I developed a soft spot for Augusta, she was likeable, but also incredibly unique. Her love for the written word is infectious, providing plenty of room for Glen to indulge in a language rich narrative whenever Augusta appears on the page.

I began with the assumption that The Other Half of Augusta Hope was going to be an easy going style read. I was definitely wrong in this judgement. Instead, I was taken on a meaningful journey, filled with snapshots of grief, loss, crimes against humanity, depression, suicide, heartache, regret and belonging. The wounds of these swirling themes can overwhelm you, but the gentle moments of clarity and joy definitely outweigh the hard times.

Turn to The Other Half of Augusta Hope if you appreciate life affirming tales, with all the feels.

*I wish to thank Harper Collins Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.

[Bookread2day · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like reading The Other Half of Augusta Hope, it was beautifully written, but I did feel I wanted a bit more within the story.

Augusta and Julia are twins, but from birth onwards are very different. Julia was born 31st July, but Augusta didn't appear until Mintues later, which by this time happened to be August. This is how Augusta was named by being born in August.

I did laugh at this point, as Augusta was so bright she had to slow down for her father because he couldn't think Straight.

Augusta's twin sister, Julia, comes home with the poet of the week certificate, as I'm a poetry fan I loved reading the poetry that Julia had made up about her mother.

Another part that did interested me is that as I go to Spain quite a lot I liked reading when Parfait met Victor, the Spanish priest.

And I love the fact that the author Joanna Glen read Spanish at the University of London, with a stint at the Faculty of Arts at Córdoba University in South of Spain.

[Jx PinkLady Reviews ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few thoughts to come

[Tracy Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the Audible version of The Other Half Of Augusta Hope which was narrated by the wonderful voices of Stephanie Racine and Jude Owusu.

I always choose my audible books that have a character led story rather than a gripping thriller as I love to savour the story and get to know the characters over a period of weeks rather than an afternoon frantically page turning.

Augusta Hope is the most wonderful, observational, honest character that I fell for almost immediately. She narrates her story with an innocence and honesty that is both refreshing and emotional.

The story begins with Augusta looking back at her life, growing up in a small town in England with her twin sister Julia and her staid and uptight parents. She is different to her perfect twin, questioning everything and looking to escape her Suburban childhood as soon as she can.

This is a really slow burner but the narrators bring the story to life. It was absolutely mesmerising, beautiful in parts, heartbreaking in others.

I completely recommend the audible version of this story and can’t wait to see what the authors writes next.