The In-Between by Christos Tsiolkas

Description

*Selected as one of the Best Australian Fiction titles for 2023 by Readings Books* 

No life is simple, and no life is without sorrow. No life is perfect.

Two middle-aged men meet on an internet date. Each has been scarred by a previous relationship; each has his own compelling reasons for giving up on the idea of finding love. But still they both turn up for the dinner, feel the spark and the possibility of something more. Feel the fear of failing again, of being hurt and humiliated and further annihilated by love. How can they take the risk of falling in love again. How can they not? A tender, affecting novel of love, of hope, of forgiveness by one of our most fearless and truthful interpreters of the human heart, the acclaimed bestselling author of The Slap and Damascus. 

'A thoroughly grown-up portrayal of grown-up love – tender, candid and seriously moving' – Patrick Gale

'Warm and rewarding…for all its socially conscious and contemporary twists and turns, this unashamedly emotional novel is working on a very deep level, striving to embody in its storytelling the assertion that, regardless of culture or sexuality, in the end – and in the beginning, and in between – only love matters. In this endeavour, it triumphantly succeeds.' – UK Guardian

'A love story par excellence…written with wisdom, humour, and a lot of raw sexuality that is never titillating but always powerful…He's simply one of the great writers of our time and The In-Between is a formidable addition to his list of works' – John Boyne, Irish Times

400 pp. trade paperback

23.4 x 15.3 x 3.34 cm

Published October 2023 by Allen & Unwin