Twenty Years Together

by Tom Rob Smith

TWO MEN. TWENTY YEARS. ONE PROPOSAL.

Danny and Luis have been a couple for decades. Piece by piece, they’ve built a life together. They’ve created a home. 

The only thing they didn't have was a marriage. When they met, it was illegal.

But the law finally changes, and Danny decides to propose - on a Scottish hilltop, to the love of his life. 

Luis loves Danny, but does he love marriage?

And, as the past begins to catch up to them both, everything they have worked for begins to fall apart. 

Can their love survive the ultimate test? And is a yes still worth fighting for after twenty years together?

Tender, romantic, and beautifully written, Twenty Years Together is a love story for the ages, by the multi-million copy bestselling author of Child 44.

 

Genres: Fiction, Queer

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 9, 2026

About the author

Tom Rob Smith (born 1979) is an English writer. The son of a Swedish mother and an English father, Smith was raised in London where he lives today. After graduating from Cambridge University in 2001, he completed his studies in Italy, studying creative writing for a year. After these studies, he worked as a scriptwriter.

His first novel, Child 44, about a series of child murders in Stalinist Russia, appeared in early 2008 and was translated into 17 languages. It was awarded the 2008 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of the year by the Crime Writer's Association. It was recently a Barnes & Noble recommended book. On July 29, 2008 the book was named on the long list for the 2008 Man Booker Prize. In November 2008, he was nominated for the 2008 Costa First Novel Award (former Whitbread).

Child 44 followed-up by The Secret Speech (2009)and Agent 6 (2011).

Japanese: トム ロブ スミス

Reviews

[Victoria Tezangi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down, reading Twenty Years Together made me feel as though I had jumped into these characters lives and it was an honour.

Luis and Danny have been together for twenty years and in that time have built a life together, careers they are proud of and hold close to them, they have valued friendships and a love so deeply special but with changes in law and a new stage of life beginning Danny decides he wants to propose to Luis and what appears to be a beautiful idea soon exposes the cracks in their relationship and new problems arise that are so severe it may just cost them their entire future and their relationship.

This book was honestly beautiful and was such a well written story that it was easy to glide through and was for me a one sitting read. We very early on got an idea of who these two men were and their clear differences in personalities, interested and insecurities. I found Danny to be relatable from the get go, I could feel his nervousness and anxieties and it made him a character I really wanted to learn more about and root for. There was a sense of unease throughout a lot of this book and while I wanted to be happy for their relationship and the choices Danny was making around finally proposing to Luis I also couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't right and I felt so on edge and anxious about what would come. It was though we could feel Danny doubts and know that his reasonings were not one hundred percent fair and honest and the anxiety that was giving him, I truly felt as though reading this we were put in Danny's position so well and as a result that nervous feeling was present throughout.

I was sat reading this book so unsure of where things would go, this relationship felt so real and we had a little glimpses in their lives together over the last twenty years. What became clear was their differences whether that be their friendships, beliefs and how they view sexuality and life but ultimately their love was so strong and beautiful. I doubted throughout whether or not these two could fix things and that uncertainty had me hooked throughout, nervous to see what the end result would be and with so many tough conversations it made for an emotional, honest and special read.

This was such an easy five star for me, throughout the book I learnt so much about LGBT history and closing pages made me feel so emotional and stood as a moment for us to really think about how far we have come, the beauty in queer history and love but also how much more work we need to do

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow burning story that I thoroughly enjoyed, and very different to other books that I have read by Tom Rob Smith.

Danny and Luis have been together for 20 years, at which point a marriage proposal is made, which makes them both question assumptions in their relationship and what they want going forward.

Told mainly from Danny's point of view, but with sufficient inout from Luis and others this is a great read.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Lydia Omodara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danny meets Luis by chance one night in a Soho bar, where he has decided to spend the evening studying for his nursing degree and avoiding his somewhat chaotic housemates. They spend the night together and the next morning - much to Danny's surprise - gorgeous, successful Luis not only wants to see him again but invites him to wedding of two friends.

Twenty years later, the two men have built a beautiful life together and they attend the same friends' anniversary celebration. Danny, who still can't believe a man like Luis would be happy with someone like him, can't help but feel that there is something missing - that their relationship is less permanent, less important in the eyes of the world because they're not married. He makes up his mind to propose to Luis and sets the plans in motion, but Luis has his own strong feelings about marriage, and they don't necessarily align.

Danny is immediately endearing and engaging - we first meet him providing succour to a one-night-stand abandoned by his housemate and quickly learn that he is studying to become a nurse in the hopes of becoming 'one of those nurses who would hold a patient's hand no matter who they were or how sick they might be.' He is self-deprecating to a fault, convinced from the start that he is not worthy of handsome, cosmopolitan Luis and grateful for any attention he might bestow.

Twenty years on, Danny's feelings of inferiority have never quite dissipated; he still regards himself as Luis' plus one rather than someone their friends value in his own right, and Luis' career as a highly-regarded lawyer makes him feel like he contributes less to the relationship. However, Smith elucidates the myriad ways which the two men complement each other, such as Danny's emotional intelligence balancing Luis' pragmatism. Smith clearly wants us to understand that there are solid reasons behind their relationship's longevity. Luis is more opaque for much of the book, but his character development is beautifully done and his arc is fundamental to the book's journey and its success as a narrative. Danny has always regarded Luis as perfect - his better in every way; he has been so focused on fixing and honing every aspect of himself to be worthy of Luis that he hasn't noticed the ways in which Luis himself is lost and broken. That Luis might have reasons for resisting marriage which have nothing to do with Danny has not occured to him.

Readers who are drawn to Twenty Years Together by the author's name may be surprised to find that this book is markedly different from his previous work - most notably his debut novel, the excellent Child 44, and its sequels. The premise and delivery of this story might fit more neatly into David Nicholls' oeuvre, but Twenty Years Later surprisingly proves Tom Rob Smith to be almost as adept at writing nuanced, tender queer love stories as he is at penning gripping Cold War thrillers.

Danny shares his conflicting feelings about being gay and British - the pride he feels for his country during the 2012 Olympics is mitigated by all the ways he (and generations of gay men) have been excluded, belittled and attacked by the government, the press and the public. His feelings will no doubt resonate with many readers for different reasons.

The story is also an examination of the progress of gay rights in the UK. When the two men first meet, it is illegal for them to marry or form a civil partnership; the only way for them to officially express their union is through buying a flat together. In 2004, civil partnerships were introduced, but neither man felt moved to take this partial step. At their friends' twentieth wedding anniversary party, it occurs to Danny that not being able to have the party, the dressing-up, the flowers and the vows means that their friends and acquaintances do not take their relationship as seriously - they are merely cosplaying at marriage. Why is Danny so desperate to get married? Does he want to do it just because he now can? Does Luis not want to because he resents needing to be granted permission by straight society? How much of Danny's dreams of marrying Luis are about earning their relationship a public stamp of approval in terms their friends and family understand? The questions Danny and Luis ask themselves about marriage are specific to them and to the gay community but applicable more broadly: if we stop and think about it, what are we hoping to cement or change with a wedding?

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author so I was pretty much going in blind. Although I understand that he is quite eclectic in his genre of writing, after reading this book, I am definitely going to endeavour to read more of his works.
So... in this book we meet Danny and Luis. They have been a couple for, as the title suggests, twenty years. They met back in 1992 and fell in love. Eventually they moved in together, creating a loving home. In fact, the only thing missing, if indeed it is needed, is marriage. Which was, of course illegal for a long time.
Until now. Finally, in 2012, the law has changed and Danny wants to propose to Luis. Properly. With a bespoke ring, on the top of a Scottish hill.
Sadly though, it isn't the fairy tale that Danny was expecting as Luis isn't as keen. In fact, he feels somewhat ambushed by it all. They having never really spoken about it. And it becomes a big thing. One which threatens their relationship as they now start to try and navigate the fallout.
Told primarily from Danny's perspective we follow their relationship. The before - How they met, how it progressed, how they shared their lives. And then... The after - How the idea of marriage changed them both. How the reason for wanting it mattered to each of them differently. In fact, the whole question of whether Luis wanted it in the first place is not insignificant. And then there's why Danny needs it...
Oh my days. What a story. What a pair of characters. Obviously I connected to Danny better than Luis as it is he I got to know better as he was the main voice. He was also the easiest character. Heart on his sleeve, even though he was a tad rudderless. He had a naïve vulnerability that also sparked my need to mother him on occasion. Luis was more complex as he wasn't as open - initially anyway. In fact, they rather turned out to be a bit chalk and cheese but also much the same. That does make sense!
And they story was utterly compelling. And totally real. All the emotions were front and centre. I laughed, I sobbed, I ugly cried. I also learned about relationships, the commitment, and the ebb and flow of love. And that the easy path isn't the best path. Sometimes you have to put in the effort...
In fact. I connected with and invested in the characters so much that, by the time I got to the end I started to feel sad at the thought of leaving them when I finished the book. It's definitely going on my - revisit in Audiobook - list as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.
I do have a few of his back catalogue already on my tbr but I am really going to try and bump them up, and soon. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[Zoe Trodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Rob Smith has written something quietly extraordinary with Twenty Years Together. I finished it feeling as though I had spent time inside a real relationship — the kind that evolves slowly, imperfectly, and beautifully over decades.

At its heart, this novel follows Danny and Luis, a couple who have built a life together over twenty years, beginning in a time when marriage between them wasn’t even possible. What unfolds is not just a love story but a meditation on commitment: what it means to stay, to change, to forgive, and to keep choosing someone as the years pass.

What struck me most is the tenderness in the writing. Smith captures the small emotional truths of long relationships — the quiet compromises, the flashes of humour, the moments of doubt, and the deep familiarity that only comes with time. The novel asks a deceptively simple question: after two decades together, what does “yes” still mean? And the way it explores that question feels both intimate and universal.

There is also something deeply moving about the historical arc of the story. Danny and Luis’s relationship unfolds across years in which the world slowly changes around them. The legal and cultural shifts affecting same-sex couples are present in the background, shaping the possibilities of their lives. The effect is subtle but powerful: their personal story becomes part of a much larger story about love, equality, and the slow progress of society.

Smith is already known for his gripping thrillers, but here he shows a completely different kind of mastery. This novel is gentle, reflective, and emotionally generous. It reminded me that the most compelling stories are sometimes simply about two people trying — imperfectly but sincerely — to build a life together.

By the final pages I felt moved and grateful to have read it. Twenty Years Together is a warm, thoughtful, and quietly profound novel about love that lasts.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that is absolutely brimming with love, with two utterly compelling central characters, filled with magical sentences – and some sobering facts. Danny and Luis’ story brought me to tears, made me beam and taught me things I should have known about the history of my country.

As the title suggests, the book tells the story of Danny and Luis’ relationship over the course of twenty years. We see this primarily from Danny’s perspective – an immensely kind, loveable and vulnerable man, riven with self-doubt. He felt so real to me, one of those characters that you wished were your friend in real life, and who at times I wanted desperately to talk to through the page, to help him see how great he is. I so wanted him to be happy and find peace.

The book is a very moving, insightful and convincing love story, but it is also more than this. One of the elements that helped to set the book apart for me was the way the history of gay rights in the UK are so powerfully woven in. In the story of their relationship, told over this timescale, it is an essential part of the narrative. Ultimately, it deepened my connection with Danny and Luis and some of the other characters that we meet along the way.

This is a bewitching novel that offers a compelling and remarkably nuanced portrait of what love - real love - over the long term can look like. There is great wisdom in it, as well as infectious joy and profound sadness. I only wish I could have spent more time as a guest in Danny and Luis’ life.

[Scully · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like me, you might know Tom Rob Smith for his thrillers, action, spies and suspense but this break from the norm is my favourite of his works yet. I'll admit I was nervous about reading a romance from an author who I associate with more thrilling works but I was pleasantly suprised.


Set amongst the London Olympics and the introduction of LGBTQ+ legislation, Twenty Years Together follows the intricately personal relationship of Danny and Luis from 1992 to 2012. There is something so beautiful about the softness of these characters – to me there were no great outlandish romance novel moments (which you know I love), but rather two characters who exist on the page in such an authentic way it felt like I was being invited in their minds and their lives. These two men navigate the changes in their relationship over these 20 years with humour, sensitivity and a frankness that was unsuspected but oh so good as discussions around legalising their relationship are made possible for the first time.

Years of questioning identities, the way they are perceived by society and the battle within one self around validating your relationship cause question as to if their foundation is as solid as they once thought.

The prose and dialogue was insightful, soft and probing in a gentle type of way and I really enjoyed it.

The romance is organic, unhurried and filled with such emotion that it truly had me falling in love with Luis and Danny over and over.


If you’re after a romance that will have you swooning, crying and contemplating the complexity of what it means to find your person for life, you will love Twenty Years Together.


Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster for this ARC – 4.75 stars

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Danny and Luis have already been a couple for two decades but, looking to deepen their commitment, Danny decides to propose. But does marriage mean the same to Luis? And, as the story moves on, is Danny doing this for the right reasons?

The story follows the two men as they begin to explore exactly what their relationship means and what brought them together (and kept them that way) for twenty years. The results are surprising for them both and the fallout will affect everyone around them.

Twenty Years Together is a very tender look at relationships and what it means after being together for so long without marriage being an option. Being a hetero female in my 50s I did find it difficult, at times, to empathise with the situation. Having had gay friends who had civil partnerships and then went on to marry without any type of angst it did feel as though both Luis and Danny were testing their relationship to breaking point rather than celebrating it.

However this short novel is an interesting look at how we see each other and our partnerships after a number of years. Both the men question of their commitment in different ways and the journey brings about some surprising outcomes.

I really enjoyed the book. Danny is particularly sympathetic character while I found Luis much harder to understand. It is an interesting look at love during times of stress and change.

Highly recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Simon &Schuster for the digital review copy.

[Damian Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is going to be a lot of people's favourite book this year. The story is told from the perspective of Danny - idealistic, self-absorbed and utterly relatable - as he works up the courage to propose to his long term partner Luis; a decision that sets off an unexpected emotional rollercoaster and will leave both them and their relati0nship utterly changed. It is an intimate, revealing and realistic portrait of a relationship, the accumulation of what can be left unsaid for years and how our unexamined pasts catch up with us eventually.

At the same time Tom Rob Smith examines the meaning and purpose of marriage against the backdrop of societal shifts in attitudes towards gay people in Britain. I found it refreshing to read a story of healing and growth in our community, which more accurately reflects the trajectory of my own journey than some of the more bleak portrayals of gay characters in much of the existing literature.

The book is written with a pace that keeps you turning the page and while I found the narrative style a bit one directional at first, it carries the story towards moments of incredible emotional intensity that brought me to tears twice... as I say, this is going to be a lot of people's favourite book this year!

[Todd Landman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Twenty Years Together. It’s one of those novels that sneaks up on you — quiet and intimate at first, and then suddenly you realise how deeply you care about the people in it.

Danny and Luis feel completely real. Their relationship unfolds across twenty years, with all the ordinary things that make a life together: misunderstandings, humour, loyalty, fatigue, tenderness, and the thousand tiny decisions that make a partnership endure. Tom Rob Smith captures those moments with such sensitivity that the book feels less like a plot and more like witnessing a life.

What stayed with me most was the emotional honesty. This isn’t a glossy or idealised love story. It’s about the work of love — how people grow, drift, reconnect, and keep choosing each other even when things aren’t simple.

It’s also quietly powerful to see a long-term same-sex relationship placed at the centre of a story like this, unfolding against a backdrop of social change over the years. The result feels both deeply personal and quietly historic.

A beautiful, thoughtful novel about commitment, time, and what it really means to build a life with someone.

[Ariel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This had a great premise but was ultimately a disappointment. The pacing, structure and characterisation really didn't work for me, which made this a slow, drudging read.

Chapters are extremely short - usually 4-6 pages - and are structured in the exact same way, with a problem in the opening, the event/associated commentary in the middle and then the solution found by the end. This applied to both small and big problems, from Tiffany only selling rings for women to Danny reconciling with his parents after a fraught 20+ year relationship. Nothing has emotional weight, and you don't really get a sense of progression. You find out in one chapter that Danny is in the London Olympics, then the next chapter is literally the entirety of Danny's involvement in the Olympics, plus he decides to propose (for no clearly established reason). What??

The writing style is super stark, with stilted, on-the-nose dialogue and flat, emotionless description, so you don't connect with the characters at all. It's completely passionless. That's a problem when you're writing a love story.

The boredom got too much and I stopped reading at the halfway mark.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read everything by Tom Rob Smith and unlike most writers, you’re never entirely sure what you are going to get. He’s done serial killers, spies, family trauma and a global apocalypse, so when I read the premise for this one and its comparison to David Nichols, I thought that sounds different. This book feels intensely personal charting the relationship of Danny and Luis from 1992-2012. Against the backdrop of the London Olympics and the path of LGBTQ+ legislation, Smith beautifully captures the trials, travails and hopes of these two men with empathy, candour, humour and sensitivity, as Danny endeavours to legalise their relationship, not just with a civil partnership but a proper wedding. However, years of suppression of their essential identity and the perception of others proves somewhat of a barrier to true love running smooth as their twenty years together becomes more fragile. Although there is a very slight feel of a passion project about this one, I did love the romance of it, and Danny, in particular, is a hugely likeable and empathetic character.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Twenty Years Together is a heartfelt, reflective novel exploring the relationship between Luis and Danny.

I enjoyed reading about the conflicting emotions marriage can create for LGBTQIA+ people. It definitely gave me a lot to think about.

As much as I enjoyed the reflective nature of the story, I found it very slow paced but my biggest bugbear is Danny. An incredibly selfish, self-absorbed character who I found impossible to like. I loved Luis’ character and felt I would’ve enjoyed the story much more if it had been written from his perspective, especially to have a more in depth view of his upbringing and youth as I feel there was much more to his story whereas Danny’s wasn’t developed as well.

Overall, an interesting but somewhat disappointing read.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Rebecca Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something so soothing reading a novel that is character driven rather than plot driven; there is an intimacy in being invited into someone's life. And Twenty Years Together does this beautifully.

What feels like a slow placed narrative becomes melodic when you give in to the rhythm of the words and the slow unveiling of Luis and Danny. Who they are, what they fear and how they love.

After spending 20 years loving each other, Danny feels that the time is right for marriage. A commitment that shows the world who he and Luis are to each other. But the proposal opens a wound in Luis that may not be healable. Can he go forward without going back?

Lovely, concise chapters and characters that will win your heart.

Now I'm considering getting that Duo Lingo Spanish happening!!!

[Lucas Tejwani · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel that masterfully explores the complex theme of how we as individuals and couples choose to express love. Highly relatable and beautifully written, this book follows the story of two gay men who are confronted with the question of how and whether to codify their love in a world where the rules are not predetermined. But their story and their struggles are more broadly applicable, and will resonate with all readers interested in how love evolves over time—how it is tested by distance, ambition, vulnerability, and the quiet, daily choices that define a life together. At its core, the novel is a meditation on intimacy: not just how we declare love, but how we sustain it, reshape it, and sometimes question it. It speaks to the tension between independence and partnership, the search for meaning within commitment, and the deeply human desire to be seen, chosen, and understood.

[André LR · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tom Rob Smith’s Twenty Years Together follows Danny and Luis, a couple who have built a shared life over two decades. When marriage finally becomes legal, Danny plans a proposal during a trip to Scotland. The novel treats the question of marriage as a test of endurance and commitment.

Smith treats longevity as moral achievement. Endurance signals virtue. Emotional fluency signals growth. Love, once fully articulated, settles into something stable and good.

That belief governs the novel. It is also where it fails.

The book attends closely to routine and shared life. It recognises the lack of public scripts for long-term gay relationships and frames marriage as recognition and repair. This will reassure many readers.

For me, it felt airless.

Full review: https://www.notesonbooks.net/twenty-y...

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty Years Together follows the ever growing relationship of Danny and Luis who have been, you guessed it, together for twenty years.

Set in the backdrop of the London Olympics, it dives deep into the meaning of marriage and how it's a complex idea to navigate for many queer people, especially those who grew up in a world where the idea of same sex marriage didn't exist. The exploration of this subject has made me think more about my own personal thoughts on the matter.

I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants a book that is hard to put down! A great first read of the year!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers and author for access to this book.

[tinkingaboutbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read an early copy of Twenty Years Together courtesy of NetGalley. While the story is significant, I actually found the writing quite depressing.

The book follows a gay couple’s relationship over two decades, acting as a "bridge from one era to another." It reflects on a time when legal recognition didn't exist. "We're pre-internet and pre-apps. We met the old-fashioned way, face to face in a bar."

Tom Rob Smith highlights how much the world has shifted since the couple first met "When the two of you met, no gay person anywhere in the world was allowed to marry..."

The heavy tone throughout the book unfortunately made this a difficult read for me.

[Tanyle Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a wholesome read that allowed me to have a better understanding of those apart of the LGBTQIA+ community and what they have had to endure.

It reflects on the transition from the early 1990s to the present day, highlighting how the struggle for equality has shaped the characters' identities and asks whether a "yes" is worth fighting for after twenty years of already being "married" in every way that counts, and whether their bond can survive the shift from a private partnership to a public contract.

I would absolutely recommend 20 Years Together to everyone, especially as a pride month read.

Thank you to the publishers for an ARC copy.

[Demi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 star rating
I find this a really hard book to review.
The storyline was insightful, yet probing, but in a gentle way. You could feel the struggle Danny and Luis were going through with their identities, the way they are perceived within society, and how obviously they were in love with each other despite all of this, but not quite knowing the 'right' way forward.
There was such a heavy, slightly melancholy feel to the book, and I think that's ultimately why I didn't connect with it as much as I'd hoped.

[Misty Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this - there was so much I could empathise with, but there are a few places where the narrative seems to drag slightly and a few 'loose ends'.
Although the characters 'reveal themselves' in the later part of the story, I felt that some of their back stories would have been better used had they occurred earlier on - but that is maybe being rather over critical.
Overall, it was very much worth the read

[Lauren Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick, easy and wonderful read. You will immediately fall in love with Danny and Luis and the twenty years they have already spent together. As an Australian, I enjoyed learning of the LGBT history of the UK from mostly Danny’s perspective. I became quite emotional in the 2012 Olympic section and felt that pride in my bones. I adore them both as they navigated what the rest of their life was suppose to look like.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Australia for the eARC.

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The last third of this book was excruciating. A worthy story (though much of it I simply didn't believe) poorly written, with the most ludicrous dialogue and so obviously laid out. So much telling. And this from one of the most swoon-worthy prologues, the time-jump of which made me tear up. I tried so hard to justify giving this 3 stars but it was just so excruciating by its end.

[Paladreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty Years Together follows Danny and Luis across two decades of loving and sometimes losing each other.

At its core, this is a deeply universal story about the need to love and be loved, the quiet agony of wondering whether you’ve found your person, and the fragile hope that maybe you have. While rooted in the queer experience, the emotions that it explores resonate with anyone who has ever loved deeply.

Set against changing social landscapes, the novel thoughtfully examines what it means to build a life together when the rules are unclear or evolving. Its reflections on partnership, identity, and chosen family stayed with me long after I finished reading.

The writing is intimate, funny, and painfully honest. The final pages genuinely moved me to tears.
A tender, intelligent, and emotionally generous novel. I won’t forget it anytime soon.

I read an advance copy of this book.