A fabulous novel and much needed slice of escapism.
Augusta and Julia Hope live in a small English village with their parents. Although they are twins, they could not be more different. They are chalk and cheese. Augusta is tall and troubsome, Julia is small and sweet-tempered. To their parents, Augusta is a nuisance, too opinionated and loud for one so young. But she is also inquisitive, observant and fiercely intelligent. She looks upon their suburb, it's inhabitants and sees what others miss, the hypocrisy, the tension, the shades of light and dark.
Lonely and dreaming of escaping the suburb for faraway, exotic places, Augusta has always struggled to fit, to find a rythem. One of her few passions is learning new words, collecting them like people collect stamps. Strange-sounding and with definitions that beguile her. One of her favourites is "Burundi." A distant place in the clutches of the jungle which will come to mean more to her than she can possibly know.
Parfait dreams of only one thing: freedom. In the mist of the civil war, his family live in poverty, the threat drawing ever closer. Burundi is no longer safe. With a single sliver of hope, Parfait must lead his family to the sanctum of Spain, crossing wide expanses and facing danger.
The Other Half of Augusta Hope explores many themes, one of which being the power of sisterhood, the ties and bonds that can last forever. Augusta feels she does not belong in the small town. The people around her, including her parents, do not understand her. Her only companion and confidant is her twin Juila. And nothing can break this love, not even a tragedy which will break everything else.
This is a gorgeously evocative novel about courage, discovery and love. Augusta and Parfait's stories enmesh in the most startling way. The author portrays her characters with warmth and wit and a curiosity and bravery that enamours the reader to them. She draws the readers' eye to their idiosyncrasies, their differences, to what makes them special. A fabulous novel and much needed slice of escapism.
Lonely and dreaming of escaping the suburb for faraway, exotic places, Augusta has always struggled to fit, to find a rythem. One of her few passions is learning new words, collecting them like people collect stamps. Strange-sounding and with definitions that beguile her. One of her favourites is "Burundi." A distant place in the clutches of the jungle which will come to mean more to her than she can possibly know.
Parfait dreams of only one thing: freedom. In the mist of the civil war, his family live in poverty, the threat drawing ever closer. Burundi is no longer safe. With a single sliver of hope, Parfait must lead his family to the sanctum of Spain, crossing wide expanses and facing danger.
The Other Half of Augusta Hope explores many themes, one of which being the power of sisterhood, the ties and bonds that can last forever. Augusta feels she does not belong in the small town. The people around her, including her parents, do not understand her. Her only companion and confidant is her twin Juila. And nothing can break this love, not even a tragedy which will break everything else.
This is a gorgeously evocative novel about courage, discovery and love. Augusta and Parfait's stories enmesh in the most startling way. The author portrays her characters with warmth and wit and a curiosity and bravery that enamours the reader to them. She draws the readers' eye to their idiosyncrasies, their differences, to what makes them special. A fabulous novel and much needed slice of escapism.