Why a Booktrail?
1978 onwards: One chance encounter can define a lifetime
Almost Life
What you need to know before your trail
Erica and Laure meet on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur in Paris, 1978. Erica is a student, relishing her first summer abroad before beginning university at home in England. Laure is studying for her Ph.D. at the Sorbonne, drinking and smoking far too much, and sleeping with a married woman.
The moment the two women meet the spark is undeniable. But their encounter turns into far more than a summer of love. It is the beginning of a relationship that will define their lives and every decision they have yet to make. Spanning cities, decades and heartbreaks, fate brings them within touching distance again and again.
But will they be brave enough to seize the life they truly want?
Locations
Reset- France - Paris
- A: Sacre Coeur
- B: The Sorbonne
- C: Shakespeare & Company
- France - Normandy - Giverny
- D: Claude Monet's House and Gardens
- England - London
- E: Gay's The Word
- F: Hatchards
- England - Norfolk
- G: University of East Anglia
- H: Brancaster Beach
Travel Guide
Locations as markers in life
Paris
Paris represents a time of the characters lives where they can live freely and there’s a sense of queer discovery and of course a strong sense of bohemian lifestyle that colours this part of the novel. They meet on the steps….a sign of the highs and lows to come?
However, Laure lives in the not so nice part of town and so this is a contrast to the Paris we all see and love and the reality – that Paris is made up of many areas and many people. Queer life may sometimes be hidden sadly but out of necessity and/or rejection.
Norfolk
In contrast, Norfolk acts as the setting of a traditional life, where the queer characters start out and where life is more conventional for a while.
London and Normandy
Really great to see iconic gay bookshop Gay’s the Word and another great iconic store, Hatchards featured in the novel. Modernity and queer life style v old fashioned tradition. Then there’s the gardens of Giverny – a place of healing.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Almost Life
Destination/location: Paris, London, Norwich, Giverny Author/guide: Kiran Millwood Hargrave Departure Time: 1978 onwards
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