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From Stonewall Award - winning author Adbi Nazemian ( Only This Beautiful Moment ) comes the epic queer love story of a lifetime. Perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Picture of Dorian Gray . Shahriar believes he was born in the wrong time. All he''s ever wanted is to love and be loved, but 1895 London doesn''t offer him the freedom to be his true self, and Oscar Wilde''s trial for gross indecency has only reaffirmed that. But one night--and one writer--will grant Shahriar what he''s always wished for: the opportunity to live in a time and place where he can love freely. Rechristened as Shams and then as Bram, he finds what feels like eternal happiness. But can anything truly be eternal? Oliver doesn''t feel that 1920s Boston gives him a lot of options to be his full self. He knows he could only ever love another boy, but that would break his beloved mother''s heart. Oliver finds freedom and acceptance in the secret queer community at Harvard that his cousin introduces him to. When he meets a mysterious boy with eyes as warm as a flame, his life is irrevocably changed, forever. Spanning one hundred and thirty years of love and longing, this tale of immortal beloveds searching for their perfect place and time is a vibrant hymn to the beauty of being alive, a celebration of queer love and community, and a reminder that behind every tragic thing that ever existed, there is something exquisite.
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"A sumptuous, expansive, sexy and gorgeously written time hopping romance that proves that no matter the era, people are people and love is love." - Gayle Forman, New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay and After Life
"From the libertine days of Oscar Wilde to the stifling nightmare of Margaret Thatcher, Exquisite Things shines as an epic gay romance that spans more than a century and that brings into sharp focus the shifting ground on which queer people stand from era to era. Abdi Nazemian's enchanting prose and adept research intertwine to deliver a riveting love story made all the more electric by its inclusion of cultural and political currents. What a clever way to unearth and share queer history! This seductive novel will educate you as it woos you." - Rasheed Newson, bestselling author of My Government Means to Kill Me
"Abdi Nazemian's powerful words cut through time and place to explore undying love and unyielding desire, reminding us that even when people want us to be invisible, we will never be erased. In a word: exquisite." - Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Guncle
"Abdi Nazemian is an author I turn to time and time again for portrayals of hope, joy, music, and the power of our own words, especially during dark and fearful times. Exquisite Things is dizzyingly epic, spanning lifetimes with sharp observations and a tender beating heart. I loved this book." - Amy Spalding, bestselling author of We Used to Be Friends and The Summer of Jordi Perez
"At once gorgeous and heartbreaking, Exquisite Things is a journey through first loves, queer communities, tragedy, and survival. Abdi Nazemian's delicate touch evokes hope that burns brighter than the loss that comes before it. A truly timeless masterpiece." - Julian Winters, award-winning author of Prince of the Palisades
"Both relevant and ancestral, queer and full of heart, messy and absolutely exquisite, Abdi Nazemian proves to not only be one of the great storytellers of our time but also a truly beloved elder of our community." - Jonny Garza Villa, Stonewall Award-winning author of Canto Contigo
"Every now and then you come across a book that will stick with you for a lifetime. This is one of those books. Abdi Nazemian expertly blends storytelling and history to give readers a love story and a message that is magic in every sense of the word." - Rachel Lippincott, New York Times bestselling author of She Gets the Girl
"Exquisite Things is a powerful, epic love letter to queer longing, chosen family, and the ache of wanting to belong-in any era. Abdi Nazemian's gorgeous prose will make you nostalgic for lives you've never lived, loves you've never known, and a world where everyone can be exactly who they are." - Daniel Aleman, award-winning author of Indivisible
