A unique book with an easy to read style of writing. It tells the story of a twin who feels a misfit in her family. Similarly a parallel story runs through of a boy who feels compelled to leave his home land in Africa. The similarities of their stories are not completely revealed until the end when they meet. I felt a little slow to get going but I was hooked at the end.

My thanks to #NetGalley #HarperFiction #HarperCollinsUK #JoannaGlenBooks for the advance copy of this book

An unusual read spanning two countries and two very different people. Augusta Hope is abit of an odd ball who isn't understood by her parents and unlike her twin sister,which at first, endears the reader into lending a sympathetic ear. However, as the story progressed I got irritated by her self absorption,trying to be different,but ending up just upsetting those around her.
Parfait,was the reverse trying to do the right thing,trying to keep his family together in horrific circumstances.
The atrocities he witnessed led to a tragedy which impacted on the rest of his life
Drawn finally together,though loss, they find solace in each other, and stop their search for forgiveness and redemption.
Whilst it was emotionally charged,I found the rhythm of the narrative jarring and I found myself skipping parts.

The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen
The quirky style of writing took a bit of getting used to but right from the start I found it an interesting read. The story is run in parallel between Augusta who lives in Britain but finds it hard to fit in with most people, including most of her own family. Augusta is very bright but often says and does things that would be considered socially unacceptable and which make her parents uncomfortable. She is a twin and adores her sister Julia, who is much more of a conformist. The other story is about Parfait who comes from Burundi and has had a very tragic life. Augusta loves to travel and when holidaying in Spain vows to return. Parfait longs to escape the tyranny of Burundi and also wants to head for Spain. The story mainly focuses on Augusta with glimpses in Parfait’s life. They come from different worlds but they have such a lot in common you knew they were bound to meet at some point.
The characters really jump off the page and you can feel the tension between Augusta and her parents. You can also feel Augusta’s obsession with her twin. This is a really interesting book with references to real life events so that you can get a feel for the time it is set. It is also quite informative and I now know a little about a country I had never heard of before reading this book.
The story is one of tragedy and despair but also of hope and new beginnings. It is a book that can make you laugh and also make you want to cry as you get involved with the characters. Joanna Glen has written a very worthy first novel and look forward to her next book.

A beautifully written book. It made me laugh and cry.. A story of two parallel lives, Augusta & Parfait from different continents. One needing to escape from narrow minded, racist parents and the other from civil war. Both have real tragedies to cope with. I loved the descriptions of Spain, Andalusia I imagine from the references to Lorca, Blood Wedding & flamenco dancing. Their lives eventually drawn together. A gem of a story.

I really enjoyed this book. Such a clever story, written so well and interweaving in a way that comes to a not wholly unexpected connection at the end. The characters were engaging and I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style. I would absolutely recommend and read this author again.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. How I really liked the characters in this book, Augusta and Parfait, 2 completely different people. Great read.

A great story - both sad and funny in places and incredibly moving. Augusta is a character that you are rooting for every step of the way!

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Beautifully written story of two very different people who grow up in different countries and end up in the same place

Really enjoyed the book and would recommend

I wasn't expecting this, not this story that touched my heart so much. It is very brave, very big and very affecting. It took me a little while to get into the parallel storylines of Augusta and Parfait but these stories grew stronger and stronger as they moved closer together. I loved Augusta by the end, really loved her voice, her spirit and her humanity and also her flaws. This is a terribly sad tale of how desperate people can be and how cruel life is for some but it is also full of life and joy and surprises. Give it a go.

I loved this book. Augusta is such a quirky character, an unusual child who grows into an unusual woman. You will wonder how two such uptight parents could have such a daughter.
Her fascination with words and her obsession with Burundi make it a rather unusual novel. I loved the parts set in Spain, the description of flamenco, local fiestas.
Augusta's involvement with Ollie, Diego and Parfait develop as she grows.
The closeness with hew twin sister adds another aspect to her character.
Beautifully written, I was sorry to finish it

Unique! Extraordinary! Different!

Julia and Augusta are the twin daughters of Stanley. Julia was born on 31 July while Augusta on 1 August. Their names are about as original as their parents will ever be. They are staid, set in their ways, hate anything out of the ordinary, and Julia is their favourite as she is happy to play by their rules. Augusta is the complete opposite. She is feisty, questions everything, she loves reading dictionaries and tracing the origins of words, studying clouds and reading poetry.

When she is seven, she discovers the country Burundi on a globe and sets about finding out everything she can about the country. This fascination will play a critical part in her later life.

She and Julia are very close; their different natures bring out the best in each of them. Life changes and their relationship changes after a two week holiday in Spain.

Parfait Nduwimana was one of nine children. He was born in Burundi and lived through the horrors of civil war. He decides that he cannot go on living in the country, especially after his sisters have been brutalised by the soldiers who frequently come to his village to plunder. He sets off across Africa with his youngest brother, Zion, determined to get to Spain.

What an extraordinary book filled with glorious pictures constructed from words. Words that you want to wrap up and keep in a special place in your head and your heart.

I loved Augusta. I loved her determination to make something of her life even though there were so many obstacles in her path. Julia is equally inspiring, for different reasons. The parents – let's say that they would not be on my Christmas list, but play a hugely important role in this complicated storyline.

Parfait and all the descriptions of war-torn Burundi, made me weep for all the lost souls killed in these senseless power struggles that seem to consume Africa. His story is so compelling, so tragic and so perfect.

A truly awesome book. I loved the wordiness, the descriptions, the quirkiness that Joanna Glen has used to tell this epic tale.

Imbali

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

My interpretation of The Other Half of Augusta Hope is that this is a love story on so many levels. Following Augusta throughout her life from childhood, this is a novel about her obsession with words and their meanings as well as her love for her twin sister Julia. She lives a very sheltered suburban life which she longs to escape, dreaming of exploring the world and in particular is fascinated by the country Burundi. The novel alternates between telling the story of Augusta’s life and that of Parfait who lives in Burundi and longs to escape the horror and brutality he has witnessed in his childhood. Two very different backgrounds but from the start the author leads the reader on a journey that makes you hope Augusta’s and Parfait’s worlds will one day collide.
So many themes are woven into this narrative. Death and grief are explored as well as the sense of belonging, the sense of adventure, of new beginnings and ultimately hope. I particularly liked the way the author explored the special bond that often exists between twins and how Augusta’s obsession with words provide her with comfort and grounding throughout the ups and downs of life. Words give Augusta a sense of identity which is a dominant theme throughout this novel which is at times hilarious (Augusta’s musings on her life in Willow Crescent), at others heartbreaking but also uplifting. I found the writing to be very lyrical as though the author is an artist just like Parfait and some sections really stand out for the exceptional quality of prose regarding Augusta and julia’s relationship. It’s quite quirky and unusual so stands out as a ‘put to the top of my reading pile’ book which I don’t think will disappoint. This novel deserves the five star rating without a doubt so thank you to Netgalley and the Borough Press for allowing me to read this ahead of publication.

I wasn't sure if I would feel any connection to Augusta as a character from the beginning of the book- I think that as a little girl despite some bookish similarities even I found her a bit too quirky. As the story unfolded though and the twins began to mature I could see so much of myself in this shifting personality. The depiction of family and all the difficulties that can come with it is handled truthfully but also, fittingly, poetically at times. I still found Parfait to be the soul of the book with his achingly long journey and heartbreaking losses along the way. I wish that those characters didn't fall quite so far to the wayside.
Although from the beginning the reader understands where the story is headed, for me it's slightly too neat aside from being wildly unbelievable of course. Augusta is still an interesting character with a touching story and it was pleasant enough to believe in miracles for a few hours.

I found this to be an okay read, and Augusta is a quirky character, but I didn't connect closely with her in the way I have done similar characters in other books. I found parts of the story a little slow.

Augusta is a twin born in August. Her sibling, Julia, was born in July and is the pretty one with a boyfriend and her life mapped out. Augusta is clever, very clever but is obsessed with Burundi.
Tragedy strikes the family and Augusta moves away but will she ever be happy and find out exactly where home is?
This is a beautifully written story of relationships, family and loss.

Born one of twins, Augusta Hope is different, feels different, she is awkward and searching for something else from an early age. Not satisfied with the settled life she was born into. The opposite of her twin sister Julia, Augusta seeks the something else she is looking for in words, their meanings, in languages and writing...all things that make her stand out further from everyone else around her.
This story is about home, the feeling of home, where home is not a place but a person...it is both as simple and as complicated as that and the storytelling beautifully encapsulates the simplicity and the complexity of this search for home.
Joanna Glen has written this story so beautifully raw and open emotionally that I couldn’t read it without feeling those emotions and causing me to shed many tears. It is a wonderful piece of writing.
I thoroughly recommend this book to others.
My thanks to #NetGalley #HarperFiction #HarperCollinsUK #JoannaGlenBooks

Augusta Hope is one of a pair of twins and though they were born not far apart timewise, they were born on different days and a different month: Julia on 31st July and Augusta on 1st August. Julia is the perfect pretty daughter and Augusta knows she never really fitted in with her family. She hates to be touched. She is feisty, driven and exceedingly clever. She is passionate about learning words and new languages. She loves the works of Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca, especially his poetry and she loves everything about the country of Burundi obsessively. She loves the easy way of life in coastal Spain where her family once holidayed. She drinks in new facts and is thirsty for a different, independent life, perhaps like that of a nomad.
Thousands of miles south of her home in Hedley Green lives Parfait, who is the oldest in a family of nine. He is determined to escape the wars between the main two tribes in Burundi. He plans to walk 8,000km to the North African coastline and cross over the Mediterranean Sea in a boat to Spain. His family have died one by one, his parents, one of his twin brothers and two of his sisters have been abused and kidnapped by the warring soldiers. He must leave with his youngest brother before it is too late. His brother who has lost his twin refuses to make the long journey; he will not leave his brother. Parfait is a talented artist and he plans to paint pictures along the way to fund their journey for a better life; a life that is easy and peaceful.
Augusta is finally uprooted after tragedy strikes her family. She decides to go back to Spain which is full of happy memories for her. She never wants to return to her former home and seeks casual work until she is ready to move on. Parfait follows through with his plans and makes the journey to Spain and safety, but he also suffers a very traumatic sea crossing before being washed up onto a sandy beach. He has no papers so he seeks work and paints for a living. Augusta and Parfait have never met despite being physically close by each other several times and despite having mutual interests. Will fate bring them together or will they both seek different futures?
I enjoyed reading this deeply moving and beautifully told story and I was willing for long held dreams to be fulfilled. I always enjoy novels about families that are under great personal stress, but love and support each other dearly. I was particularly absorbed by Parfait’s story because he was still very young when he made the decision to be proactive in changing his life for the better; I loved his tenacity and his upbeat attitude to life. I was amused by Augusta’s quirkiness and was glad of some humour and lighter moments in the story, which was very sad at times.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Borough Press through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you so much for my copy. These are my own honest opinions without any outside influences. This novel is a good read.

An unusual and intriguing book. It is predominantly about family, and the responsibilities,, pain and disappointments that come with loving your siblings and parents, but never really feeling like you belong or are where you should be.
Set in the UK, Spain and Africa it tells the parallel and connecting stories of Augusta and Parfait. Both are likeable characters with strong and well written voices.
I am really pleased I read #TheOtherHalfofAugustaHope and thank #NetGalley for the opportunity.

Augusta Hope loves words and devours dictionaries. She is not your average child. She's also a twin. Julia, the other half to their 'Justa', is much easier for their parents to understand. Julia is happy where she is. Augusta dreams of being anywhere else.

Along with her words, Augusta becomes obsessed with the country Burundi. She's picked it for an obsession from its name alone, and determines to learn as much about it as possible over the years. Life carries on. She is extraordinary even when everything around her is ordinary.

Then Parfait's point of view is introduced. He actually lives in Burundi. He has a large loving family, but a life that quickly becomes tragic in a country torn apart by violence and politics. He cares for his siblings as best he can, but always dreams of a better future - always dreams of what a life in Spain might be like.

At first having both points of views is a little confusing - where is this going, you might think? What are we supposed to think of Augusta's 'mundane' difficulties, such as who gets to date neighbour Diego, when in Burundi Parfait is struggling to stay alive? But I suppose it shows that we judge our lives by our own difficulties, not other people's. It's still hard for Augusta being the 'weird' one, even if it's harder still for Parfait having to leave everything he loves behind.

It's foreshadowed from the beginning that Augusta will lose her twin, and that Parfait will face real tragedy too. I must admit I kept turning the pages to find out what would happen. It hit me hard anyway, regardless of knowing. Tears were shed.

Once Parfair and Augusta have experienced the worst that life can throw at them, it seems a matter of time until their paths will cross. Waiting for this is another kind of tension, taut with anticipation.

In the beginning portion of the novel, I wondered if it would be a slow read for me. It took a little while to care about Augusta's world. She's fascinating but also thoughtless sometimes in how she deals with her family. But I don't know what happened. The story got its hooks into me, I suppose, and I read it across one evening. It helps that the writing is very good. Some of it even reads like poetry (this could irritate some, in the wrong mood - it's quite stylised at times - but in this context I enjoyed it).

There were times I wanted more Parfait and less Augusta, but that's a minor complaint in the big scheme of things. It's an interesting book - both funny and sad, somehow small-town focused and international, evocative and even educational (Augusta knows bigger words than me). I'm glad I read it.