Laura Laura

"Those close to him suddenly appear unfathomable as he begins to question if he truly knows those closest to him and even himself." – Tessa Hadley
An elderly academic is accosted by a homeless woman on his way home from the cinema, leading him to confront his past and assess if he has lived a good life. He begins to question if he truly knows those closest to him and himself, as there are infinite ways to travel through the past.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 13 January 2022
Publisher: Europa Editions (UK) Ltd

An elderly academic is accosted by a homeless woman on his way home from the cinema. She tells him her name is Laura. So begins a nightmarish journey for Gerald, who is forced to confront the mystery of his own past and to ask himself if he has lived a good life – or even a decent one.

In the course of this very funny, sometimes disturbing and often moving novel, suppressed memories return to haunt him, including the question of the role he played in a family tragedy. Above all, he has to assess the harm he may have done in a long-forgotten love affair.

Those close to him suddenly appear unfathomable as he begins to question if he truly knows those closest to him and even himself. The problem with exploring the past, Gerald begins to see, is that there are an infinite number of ways to travel through it.

Gerald is a professor of English literature who has been teaching at the same university for many years. He is known for his strict demeanor and his love of literature. However, his life is turned upside down when he is accosted by a homeless woman named Laura on his way home from the cinema.

Laura tells Gerald that she has a secret to share with him and that she needs his help. Gerald is initially skeptical, but he eventually agrees to help her. Over the course of the night, Laura reveals that she is a former student of Gerald's who has been living on the streets for years.

Laura tells Gerald that she has been searching for him for a long time and that she needs his help to find her missing daughter. Gerald is initially reluctant to get involved, but he eventually agrees to help Laura.

As Gerald begins to investigate Laura's case, he discovers that there is more to it than he initially thought. He learns that Laura's daughter was kidnapped by a group of criminals who were looking for a ransom. Gerald also learns that Laura has been living in fear of her own life for years and that she has been unable to find her daughter.

Gerald is determined to find Laura's daughter and to bring the criminals to justice. He begins to investigate the case and eventually finds a lead that takes him to a small town in the countryside.

In the small town, Gerald meets a woman named Sarah who is the wife of a local police officer. Sarah is initially wary of Gerald, but she eventually agrees to help him. Together, they begin to investigate the case and eventually find the criminals who kidnapped Laura's daughter.

Gerald is able to rescue Laura's daughter and bring the criminals to justice. However, he is left with a lot of questions about his own life and his role in the family tragedy. He begins to question if he has lived a good life or if he has been selfish and self-centered.

Gerald is also left with a lot of questions about his relationship with Laura. He begins to wonder if he ever really knew her or if he was just using her to help him find his daughter.

In the end, Gerald is able to find closure and move on with his life. He learns that it is important to confront the past and to assess the harm that we have done. He also learns that it is important to be kind and compassionate to others and to always put their needs before our own.

This novel is a powerful exploration of the human condition and the complexities of the human heart. It is a funny, sometimes disturbing, and often moving story that will leave readers thinking long after they have finished reading it.

Weight: 202g
Dimension: 198 x 128 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781787703537