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A whimsical and healing novel about a trans man in New York who--almost 30, laid off, broke--moves back to his small Illinois hometown, walks into the bookstore he worked at in high school. . . and slips through time to come face-to-face with his pre-transition, teenage self. If you had one chance to talk to your younger self...would you? What would you say? When Darby left Oak Falls for college in NYC, all he wanted was to get as far away as possible, find a community where he could start fresh--and finally forget about his childhood best friend Michael, and just how painfully their friendship ended. Now, about to turn thirty, Darby suddenly finds himself unemployed. With no better alternative, and questioning where he really belongs, he moves back to his hometown. But the changes in Oak Falls--the planned community with his mother''s new town home, the trendy coffee shop--make him feel off balance. And Michael''s still here, their relationship still distant and strained. Even though they''ve both changed. One thing is familiar: In Between Books, Darby''s refuge growing up and eventual high school job. When he walks into the bookstore now, Darby feels an eerie sense of deja vu--everything is exactly the same. Even the newspapers are dated 2009. And behind the register is a teen who looks a lot like Darby did at sixteen. . . who just might give Darby the opportunity to change his own present for the better--if he can figure out how before his connection to the past vanishes forever. The In-Between Bookstore is a stunning novel of love, self-discovery, and the choices that come with both, for anyone who has ever wondered what their life might be like if they had the chance to go back and take a bigger, braver risk.
About the author
Edward Underhill grew up in the suburbs of Wisconsin, where he could not walk to anything, so he had to make up his own adventures. He studied music in college, spent several years living in very small apartments in New York, and currently resides in California with his partner and a talkative black cat. He is the author of two young adult novels, Always the Almost and This Day Changes Everything, and a book for adults, The In-Between Bookstore. Visit him on Instagram @edwardunderhill.
Summary
“What would you tell your teen self if you could go back in time? Underhill’s tender, innovative debut is the smartest take on this trope I’ve ever read. . . and for the record, I read it in a single sitting. A beautiful, thoughtful study of how we find our truest selves, and whom we choose to trust with that gift.” — Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author
A poignant and enchanting novel about a magical bookstore that transports a trans man through time and brings him face-to-face with his teenage self, offering him the chance of a lifetime to examine his life and identity to find a new beginning.
When Darby finds himself unemployed and in need of a fresh start, he moves back to the small Illinois town he left behind. But Oak Falls has changed almost as much as he has since he left.
One thing is familiar: In Between Books, Darby’s refuge growing up and eventual high school job. When he walks into the bookstore now, Darby feels an eerie sense of déjà vu—everything is exactly the same. Even the newspapers are dated 2009. And behind the register is a teen who looks a lot like Darby did at sixteen. . . who just might give Darby the opportunity to change his own present for the better—if he can figure out how before his connection to the past vanishes forever.
The In-Between Bookstore is a stunning novel of love, self-discovery, and the choices that come with both, for anyone who has ever wondered what their life might be like if they had the chance to go back and take a bigger, braver risk.
