The Other Half of Augusta Hope: The best-selling, heart-warming debut novel shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award

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I found the relationships within the Hope family quite convincing and the wider community was intriguingly diverse; I wound up looking places up online and poems and art. 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.

With more than 200,000 listeners, the Squiggly Careers podcast is an accessible look at modern careers. The tie-in book runs to self-help type but Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis have hit upon a simple idea: if you work out your values and what you’re good at, it’s likely to motivate you to be confident about what you want to do in the future. Of course, not everyone has the luxury of effectively designing their own career, but for those who find the possibility of moving fluidly between roles and companies either overwhelming or exciting, Tupper and Ellis are invaluable guides. Joanna Glen weaves a uniquely heartening and hopeful story. A story about pain, the solace of words and our search to belong, to a place, to a person. Welcome to the world of the wonderful Augusta Hope” - Jess Kidd, author Himself and Things in Jars Parfait’s story is different and original as we learn more of the culture of Spain and of dancing! There are some very poetic and beautiful moments in his life and as his and Augusta’s stories start to intertwine, there is redemption and hope for the future. Parfait is the same age as Augusta, but lives in a completely different world: war-torn Burundi. Having seen many of his family killed in the bloody civil war, he decides to leave, aged 14, taking his younger brother with him. The threads of this book weave in and out of time, place and experience. Its about family of whatever type and learning from others.worlds are brought together in this powerful novel of wanting something more than what you have. Both Augusta and Parfait want a better life and both have their sights on Spain.

I loved this book. Augusta is such a quirky character, an unusual child who grows into an unusual woman. You will wonder how two such uptight parents could have such a daughter. I loved this book. A wonderful debut from Joanna Glen. There are really two stories here, one told by Augusta and the other by Parfait. The Other Half of Augusta Hope is the story of two people: Augusta Hope growing up in Britain, and Parfait growing up in Burundi. Their stories are told separately and as their stories unfold you see some parallels in their very different histories and also huge differences. Two stories, different continents. Will their stories connect somehow? Thanks is extended to HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a copy of The Other Half of Augusta Hope for review.I simply loved this clever and wonde on the other side of the world is a young boy growing up in a world of fear and death. In the political turmoil of Africa his parents and brother are slaughtered and he becomes the leader and protector of his remaining family. His decision is to go to Spain and be an artist to support them. The narrative switches between Augusta and Parfait who are both complex characters with wildly different upbringings but who, at the same time, seem to have things in common. Their eventual meeting seems inevitable but getting to that point is a vivid, emotional and sometimes dark rollercoaster ride.

Part of The Other Half of Augusta Hope is set in Burundi, a small country in Africa that Augusta decides is to be her favourite country in the world and so she devours facts and learns everything that she can about the country. 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 also hear from Parfait, a young boy living in Burundi who at first seems quite random, how will he fit into the story? Of course, it soon becomes clear. The Other Half Of Augusta Hope reminded me of a whirlpool with two powerful stories chasing each other, getting ever closer. There is violence and destruction in the vortex but also beauty and hope. Wow! This book had me laughing loudly and crying copiously. Augusta brings a smile to your face with her insightful comments, and worldly wisdom. Interwoven with this is the story of Augusta and her family living in suburban Britain. The familiar sights and smells of this neighbourhood are very easy to relate to for anyone in the UK and the sometimes mundane nature of that is something that Augusta starts to rally against from a young age. Her twin sister Julia is more easy-going and wants to please her parents. Despite this, there is a deep bond they share.