Sebastian James Murphy is twenty years, six months and two days old. He loves swimming, fried eggs and Billy Ocean. Sebastian is autistic. And lonely.
Veronica wants her son Sebastian to be happy … she wants the world to accept him for who he is. She is also thinking about paying a professional to give him what he desperately wants.
Violetta is a high-class escort, who steps out into the night thinking only of money. Of her nursing degree. Paying for her dad’s care. Getting through the dark.
When these three lives collide – intertwine in unexpected ways – everything changes. For everyone.
This Is How We Are Human by Louise Beech was published TODAY in eBook by Orenda Books, who really do publish unforgettable literature. Happiest of publication days to Louise, I had a few Haribo fried eggs in celebration, just for you! The paperback of This Is How We Are Human is due to be published in June, so whether you’d like to pre-order or you can’t wait and you need the eBook – you really need the eBook, you can grab a copy directly from Orenda Books website here.
I adore Louise’s writing; I love how she emotively personifies her characters with a creative reflection on life. Louise writes from the heart with such passion and purpose, this is absolutely the case with This Is How We Are Human. We are drawn into the lives of two characters, Sebastian who is twenty years, six months, and two days old, he is lonely, and he longs to be loved, to find a connection with another person that is special. We also meet Isabelle who, to support her family has taken a second job to support them. These two characters lives become interwoven, with the exceptional use of an alternating narratives, including that of Sebastian’s mother Veronica, I felt myself becoming emotionally entangled in each one of their lives.
This Is How We Are Human shines a light with understanding on themes, including autism, dating and love along with inserts of shocking details as we read about Isabelle’s traumatic experiences for financial survival. We first journey through the characters individual stories, as Louise finely builds the foundations of their connections, as the storyline develops, we feel the warmth that radiates as our protagonists begin to learn more about themselves, their strengths and the things that really matter. The whole book is captivating and beautifully executed leaving you with a lasting impact on your heart.
This incredibly extraordinary novel is inspired by a real story, Fiona, and Sean Mills in fact, together they have been able to create a story for those voices who tend to be shouted over – This Is How We Are Human is not only a book for us to fall into and embrace, but Louise has also written it to give those who need it a louder voice – and we need to listen! Louise, Fiona and Sean have all contributed input into this novel which I feel allowed a genuine air of emotion to be present through the entirety of This Is How We Are Human, although Louise’s work is always packed with emotion, meaning and heart.
A warning, you’re really not going to want to make plans when you start this book, it’s a devour in one sitting kind of read. Enjoy!
The Reading Closet 