The Two Lives of Louis & Louise: The emotional novel from the Richard and Judy bestselling author of 'Together'

by Julie Cohen

Overview

'Hugely original and heartbreakingly real' Rosie Walsh, Sunday Times bestselling author of 'The Man Who Didn't Call'

*****

Two people.
Two lives.
One chance to see the same world differently.

Louis and Louise are the same person born in two different lives. One was born female, and one male.

They have the same best friends, the same red hair, the same dream of being a writer, the same excellent whistle. They both suffer one catastrophic night, with life-changing consequences.

Thirteen years later, they are both coming home . . .

A tender, insightful and timely novel about the things that bring us together - and those which separate us, from the author of Richard & Judy recommended book Together

*****

A NOVEL PEOPLE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT...

'It's BRILLIANT. I enjoyed it hugely' Marian Keyes

'Not often does a story remind us of what beautifully complex creatures we are. Julie Cohen has given us that rare gift' Christina Dalcher, author of VOX

'Louis and Louise is Julie Cohen at her absolute best. So cleverly done and authentic, and you feel as if you live in the town with the characters and have been in the story with them.' A J Pearce

'Louis & Louise is moving and beautiful, but it will also make you wonder and question, and it will stretch out your thinking so very beautifully' Joanna Cannon

'Elegant, thoughtful and powerful' Daisy Buchanan

'Fierce, intricate and intriguing' Fanny Blake

'A timely read that will stay with you long after you put it down' Libby Page

'What a brave, warm and wise book this is. I loved it' Tamar Cohen

'Beautifully written and thought-provoking' Kate Eberlen

'A cobweb of a book: beautifully intricate and delicate' Veronica Henry

'Wow. What a beautiful, ballsy and brilliant book' Sinead Moriarty

'A beautifully written, heartbreaking and important novel about gender, self, family and, ultimately, love' Claire Frost, reviewer

'A powerful and memorable story of small town secrets, family dynamics and the sense that some things are just meant to be' Sunday Express

'Emotional and seriously powerful' Fabulous

'An engaging, moving novel, at its most arresting in the pivotal scenes when she explores the personal fallout of industrial and class conflict in Louis/Louise's beleaguered hometown' Sunday Times

'A modern take told with heart' Grazia

'The premise here is radical, but worth the effort... this elegantly written novel also examines much that is universal' Daily Mail

*****

* Fabulous pick for 2019's Best Books *
* Woman & Home Pick of the Month *
* Good Housekeeping Book of the Month *
* Emerald Street January's Best Books *
* Stylist 2019's Hottest Books *
* THE POOL Recommended Books 2019 *

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781409179856
Publisher:	Orion
Publication date:	01/24/2019
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	952,659
File size:	583 KB

About the Author

Julie Cohen grew up in the western mountains of Maine. Her house was just up the hill from the library and she spent many hours walking back and forth, her nose in a book. She studied English Literature at Brown University and Cambridge University and is a popular speaker and teacher of creative writing, including classes for The Guardian and Literature Wales. Her books have been translated into fifteen languages and have sold nearly a million copies; DEAR THING was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. Julie lives in Berkshire with her son and a terrier of dubious origin.

You can find Julie on Twitter: @julie_cohen or you can visit her website: www.julie-cohen.com.

Julie Cohen grew up in the western mountains of Maine and studied English at Brown University and Cambridge University before pursuing a research degree in nineteenth century fairies. After a career as a secondary school English teacher, she became a novelist. Her award-winning novels have sold over a million copies worldwide. Dear Thing and Together were both selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club. Julie is a teacher of creative writing, a Vice President of the Romantic Novelists' Association, a founder of the RNA Rainbow Chapter for LGBTQ+ authors, and a Patron of literacy charity ABC To Read. She lives in the south of England with her son and a terrier of dubious origin.

Twitter: @julie_cohen
Website: HYPERLINK "http://www.julie-cohen.com" www.julie-cohen.com

Editorial Reviews

Told over two, initially parallel, narratives (or, indeed, universes), this is a nuanced exploration of how the social expectations of gender can push us down certain paths.— THE INDEPENDENT

This elegantly written novel also examines much that is universal: teen love, parent-child relations, class division and small-town prejudice.— DAILY MAIL

The premise here is radical, but worth the effort... this elegantly written novel also examines much that is universal— Daily Mail

Tender and thought-provoking— Isabelle Broom, Woman & Home

Poignant and heartfelt— PRIMA

Not often does a story remind us of what beautifully complex creatures we are. Julie Cohen has given us that rare gift— Christina Dalcher, author of VOX

Hugely original and heartbreakingly real— Rosie Walsh

Louis and Louise is Julie Cohen at her absolute best. So cleverly done and authentic, and you feel as if you live in the town with the characters and have been in the story with them.— A J Pearce, author of DEAR MRS BIRD

Louis & Louise is moving and beautiful, but it will also make you wonder and question— Joanna Cannon, author of THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP

In this fascinating novel, Cohen explores the paths taken by Louis and Louise, which run almost parallel until a life-changing event on the night of Lou's high school graduation. It's a poignant look at how our gender can determine the way we are treated and the knock-on effects that can have, even if all the other circumstances of our lives are exactly the same— Emerald Street

In the hands of a less skilful author this could have been an unsubtle gimmick to make a point about gender but Julie Cohen has written a powerful and memorable story of small town secrets, family dynamics and the sense that some things are just meant to be.— SUNDAY EXPRESS

Beautifully written and thought-provoking— Kate Eberlen, author of MISS YOU

A timely read that will stay with you long after you put it down— Libby Page

A cobweb of a book: beautifully intricate and delicate— Veronica Henry

A beautifully written, heartbreaking and important novel about gender, self, family and, ultimately, love— Claire Frost

Fierce, intricate and intriguing— Fanny Blake

Cohen has written an engaging, moving novel, at its most arresting in the pivotal scenes when she explores the personal fallout of industrial and class conflict in Louis/Louise's beleaguered hometown.— SUNDAY TIMES

Book of the Month: The idea behind Louis & Louise is one of the cleverest I've seen: a baby is born on 8 September 1978 - from that point, the narrative splits, with the child growing up female in one strand and male in the other... This tender, moving, fantastically readable story is expertly handled by Julie Cohen.— GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

Exploring two alternate realities - one in which the Alders have a son, the other a daughter - the Sliding Doors-style scenarios of growing up male or female in a small US town make for an intriguing looks at gender and destiny.— SUNDAY MIRROR

Emotional and seriously powerful.— FABULOUS MAGAZINE, SUN ON SUNDAY

Elegant, thoughtful and powerful— Daisy Buchanan

this is a modern take told with heart— GRAZIA

Wow. What a beautiful, ballsy and brilliant book— Sinead Moriarty

What a brave, warm and wise book this is. I loved it— Tamar Cohen, author of THE BROKEN

From the Publisher