Almost Life

"Captivating...an entrancing read packed with the extreme highs and lows of an all-encompassing love." --People

Two young women meet in Paris one sultry summer in a decades-spanning tour de force about the enduring power of young love and the poignant heartbreak of missed chances--perfect for fans of One Day and Normal People.

Erica and Laure meet on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur in Paris, 1978. Erica is a student, relishing her first summer abroad before beginning university at home in England. Laure is studying for her PhD 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...

Erica and Laure's love story spans decades, marriage, children, secret trysts, and the agonizing changes--both personal and political--that might mean they can be together, after all. But when life brings them within touching distance again, will they be brave enough to seize a future together?

Beautifully capturing young love and all its complexities, Almost Life is a story of longing for the paths not taken, and the almost lives we live.

Author: Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Publisher: S&s/Summit Books
Published: 03/24/2026
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.38w x 1.42d
ISBN: 9781668204276


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2026
Booklist 02/01/2026
Library Journal 01/01/2026 pg. 58

About the Author
Kiran Millwood Hargrave is an award-winning, bestselling novelist. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages and shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize. Her debut novel for adults, The Mercies, was a New York Times Notable Book, USA Today Best Book of 2020, and won international awards including a Betty Trask Award and the Prix Rive Gauche à Paris.