St Aubyn, Edward: Parallel Lines

The story of a group of wildly different people whose fates are improbably yet inextricably linked, the new novel from the bestselling and prize-winning author. It is summer, and Sebastian is in treatment following a breakdown that has left him grappling, again, with his fragile grip on reality and his persistent hunger to connect with the mother who abandoned him as a child. His therapist, Martin, is also facing challenges, including his adopted daughter‘s tenuous relationship with her biological mother - a predicament that makes Sebastian‘s struggle feel uncannily close to her own. Olivia is producing a radio series on natural disasters, which itself seems to be running parallel to the events unfolding in her personal life, as her best friend Lucy faces a grave diagnosis, and her husband, Francis, pursues his mission of rewilding the world. Over the course of the next year, their fates collide in outrageous and poignant ways, as each of their destinies is revealed in a marvellous new light. Written with Edward St Aubyn‘s trademark wit and inimitable style, Parallel Lines is a story about connection, love and the cascading consequences of our choices at every stage of life. It is a thrilling, wondrous novel from one of our most gifted writers.