A review by frogglin
The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

In her early life, Augusta Hope is an insufferable brat but she grows into herself. The threads of tragedy are laid out early with parallel stories from Augusta in England and Parfait who is living through a civil war and genocide in Burundi. His long path to escape to Spain draws against Augusta's own plans to leave behind her dull sedate life in a suburban street. Only her twin sister Julia is keeping her around her family home.

The story draws you gently along toward conclusions that you know are coming, and will be tragic, but there is an inevitability to them. They cannot be stopped, only glimpsed in advance. Family secrets, and family heartbreaks roll on but never with a sense of shock value or throwing something in for the sake of making the reader gasp. 

The three worlds of Burundi, England and Spain are each filled with a cast of characters who all bring something to the story, even if only fleetingly. 

Not entirely a "joy" to read,  for many reasons, it is still a pleasure to spend time with Augusta and Parfait and their collection of friends and family. 
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